CO129-507-3 China- anti-piracy precautions 31-10-1927 - 25-10-1928 — Page 66

COPY

SECRET.

Copics to!-

Peking No. 42

Secretary of State,

Canton No.107.

RECEIVED 12JUN 1928

OOL.OFFICE

Government Hou

Hong Kong.

7th May, 1928.

sir,

I have the honour to acknowledge the

receipt of Your Excellency's letter dated the

7th May, on the subject of anti-piracy measures in

Bias Bay, and to inform you in reply that during

last March the whole position with regard to this

matter was radically altered in my opinion, by the

re-establishment of friendly relations between the

Hong Kong Government and the de facto Government of

Muangtung. At personal interviews, which then took

place between Marshal Li Chai-um and myself, I was

given more than once the ascurance that it was the

intention of the Cantonese Authorities to clean up

the whole country round about Bias Bay, and to take

effective measures to suppress piracy and briganarye.

At these interviews General Tsui King-tong who hee

been deputed to take personal command of the troops

engaged in these anti-piracy measures, was himself

present and I was told that the policy known to the

Chinese as "cleaning up villages" would be

energetically

His Excellency

Major General C. C. Luard, C.B. C.M.G.,

General Officer Commanding the troops,

South China Command.

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