CO129-507-3 China- anti-piracy precautions 31-10-1927 - 25-10-1928 — Page 253

"CPX.

(7 9546/41/10)

Despatch No. 2108(20382/27)

Copy to Canton 119(20334/27)

Hongkong 109(20336/27) C-in-C. 72(20338/27) Shanghai #09 (20340/27) Tokyo 124(20342/27

Minutes of meet- ing held 11 a.m. Hov.16th, with

Minutes of moet ing held 3.30 p. n. Eov. 16th. with annex.

317,

282

British Legation,

PEKINO

Jovember 18th, 1987,

While the Diplomatie Rody were, as reported

in my despatches Hoa. 1097 and 2082 of October 6th

and November ärá respectively, considering

question of pirmay suppression, yet another onKe

of pirsay soɑurred which showed that the measures

hitherto adopted had not been sufficiently offeo-

tive as a deterrent. The 3.5. "Irene", belonging

to the Chinese Merchants' Steam Navigation Company

and flying the Chinese flag, was pirated on October

19th and sank during an attempt to intercept her

and arrest the pirates when the latter endeavoured

to run her inte Bias Bay on the following day.

2. It appears, from a telegram which I re-

seived from the C-in-C, just after this event, that

the Governor of Hongkong bad for some time been

meditating a plan for further punitive measures

against Bins Bay in the event of another pirney of

a British vessel. The plan was to land a military

feree of about 500 men and, in an operation lasting

three days, to destroy the entire township of Fan Le-Kong

8.234./

The Right Honourable

Sir Austen Chamberlain, F.C..2.0....

⚫te..

etc..

eta.

Foreign Office.