CO129-515-1 Piracy- legal proceedings arising from sinking of S.S. 'IRENE' 18-1-1929 - 6-9-1929 — Page 37

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is nothing in the wording of Article 53 of the

Treaty of Tientsin which suggests that its

operation was intended to be confined to the

high seas, and the presumption to the contrary

is very strong, since there had been important

and well known oases of action by British

warships against pirates in Chinese territorial

waters shortly before the signature of the

treaty.

Moreover, the wording of Article 9

of the treaty between Chins and the United

States, of June 18th, 1858 (to the benefits of

which His Majesty's Government are entitled

unde. their n.f.n. righte) eleurly conten

plated action by the national vessols of the

United States in Chinese territorial waters.

It is, however, unnecessary to discuss the

treaty position farther, since in any oase the

proposal of kr. then referred to in para-

graph 5, suggesting as it did that the most

effective method of taking repressive action

against the pirates would be to st tion a

British gunboat at the entrance to Bias Bay,

which