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stream over the Second Bar was prohibited. It will also
be seen that navigation by vessels of draught over 7 feet
were prohibited, but there was no mention of whether "7 feet"
denoted (as was intended) "7 feet at high water" or "7 feet
at low water", which means at least 12 feet at high water.
There are no cargo or passenger ships with a draught as low
as 7 feet, and few tugs or lighters. Consequently the
regulations, if strictly interpreted, served no useful
purpose to navigation. My aim therefore was to induce
General Yu Han-mou to permit tacitly (and therefore without
"loss of face") an interpretation of "7 feet at low water",
and thus allow direct navigation by all Hong Kong Canton
river steamers, the deepest of which draws 11' 3" fully
loaded. At this stage, Captain Cunninghame Graham's expert
knowledge and assistance was invaluable to me and I could
have done nothing without his help. On Saturday October
23rd he and I had a long private conversation with General
Wu Te-chen, when I put before him the above considerations,
and Captain Cunninghame Graham convinced him that there was
no danger that any Japanese destroyer could enter the river
at a lower draught than 14 feet. General Wu promised that
he would explain the position to the Pacification Commissioner.
He informed me that he did so on Monday, October 25th, and
gradually the entire fleet of regular Canton-Hong Kong river
steamers renewed their normal schedule, as if the regulations
of October 20th read 7 feet at low water.
11.
Apparently however General Yü Han-nou was only
partially convinced, and had partly taken umbrage (and partly
become frightened) at illadvised paragraphs in the British
press at Hong Kong, and at the size of the ships coming to
Canton; although in the latter connexion I had carefully
instructed British shipping companies that none should load
above 11 feet, and in the former connexion had advised
strongly
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