CAB23-58 — Page 68

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CHINA.

Powers and Authority of the Naval Commander- in-Chief.

(Previous

Reference: Cabinet 32 (28), Con- clusion 4.)

8. The Cabinet had before them a Note circulated

by the First Sea Lord of the Admiralty, in the

absence of the First Lorâ, concerning the powers

and authority delegated to Admiral Tyrwhitt, the

Naval Cormander-in-Chief in China (Paper C.P.-181

(28)).

The suggestion was made to the Cabinet that

the present powers of the Naval Commander-in-Chief.

conferred on him during various episodes in the

crisis of the last 18 months, were in fact rather

less than those implicit in his standing instruc-

tions. The former, according to the First Sea

Lord's Note, only authorised the Admiral to take

action consequent on some offensive action or

outrage by the Chinese, whereas the standing

instructions enabled him to take action "in a case

"where British life and property are at stake and

"require immediate Naval interference": in other

words, the standing instructions appeared to

enable him to act in a case of imminent danger,

whereas the special powers, conferred during the

crisis, did not.

The Cabinet asked the First Lord of the Admiralty to consult the First Sea Lord on the question, in order to ensure that the powers of the Naval Commander-in-Chief were sufficient to enable him to act in a case of imminent danger.

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