CO129-563-17 Sino-Japanese War- attacks on shipping. For extracted photographs see CN 3-12 27-9-1937 - 17-1-1938 — Page 72

Enclosure No.11.

CONFIDENTIAL

Hkg. Govt. No. 1409.

72

Office of Chinese Maritime Customs

for Kowloon and District.

Marina House,

15-19 Queen's Road, Central.

HONG KONG 14th December, 1937.

*

Sir,

In reply to your letter of this date:

enquiring, in connection with the

seizure of the Chinese Customs

preventive vessel "Chahsing" on the

11th instant, the status of this

vessel, duties normally performed,

armament carried and the nature of

the order which led to the presence

of the cruiser in Deep Bay on the

11th instant :

I have the honour to inform you that the "Chahsing" is

a preventive vessel engaged in checking smuggling and

operates under a commission issued by the Ministry of

Finance. The "Chahsing" is a light-draft vessel and is

normally engaged in checking smuggling in the deltas of

the Canton and West Rivers and around the Lema and

Ladrone Islands and the islands south-west of Macao.

The armament consists of one three-pounder Hotchkiss

gun of an obsolete pattern, three Lewis guns, twelve

Lee-Enfield rifles and nine revolvers.

The Honourable,

The instructions on this occasion, which were verbal

and not written, were to proceed to Deep Bay and anchor

The Inspector General of Police,

HONG KONG.