Br rue Sractat ConREsronpENr oF THE
"Sourm Catxa Monxixe Post."
I reached Saigon on April 29tb, the only matter of interest on the voyage down being the affair of the three Russian deserters.
On Sstarday evening I handed in my cables at the telegraph office for London, Hongkong, and New York.
The following afternoon, 30th inst., I carefully compiled a summary of my experiences and observations during my five days' stay at Camranh, and handed in the summary at the telegraph office to be wired to America and Europe.
On Monday mori received a Chit of reeTetoyray lis that I his office, acting instructions from Monsieur Beau, the governor-General of Indo-Chin," and sary to te eight words from my cable of April 29th, and to decline to send my cables arcopted by the telegraph office on April 30th. the Convention is as Les hantes parties contractantes event La ficulté d'arréter La tranemission de tout telegram me prive qui paraitrait dangéreux pour La security de Péiat ov qui strait ire avx luis clu Vordre public, ea aux bonnrs French authorities thought to be either dangerous to the State" or "to public order" or "to good manners." Therefore they were ex and the money I had paid for their transmission, by the British cable at Cape St. James, returned to me.
He declined to give any reasons for his action, or to discuss the matter. I asked him if it was not yon the ge) transports" wer on ling, with at least a dozen others. He sdmited that he believed it was so, but I could not wire such news.
Even though," I responded, " France was a neutral Power and was daily stating in Paris that neutrality was being [rigorously observed? 1f supplying coal and provisions to dozens of ships was no breach of neutrality, what bad France to be afraid of in deleting the words from my cable?"
'A shrug of the shoulders was the only response.
asked him, that as the call at Cape St. James was run by 8 company, whether I could not dispatch my wires from there.
fo replied: " Certainly not, as it (the station) is under the control of the French Government."
I then turned to the second cable, summarising events at Camranh and Saigon, but to this the Chief of Telegraphs returned the same answer, by pointing to the blae-pencilled clause of the copy of the articles of the Convention before him.
I then drow attention to the fact that there had been considerable delay in advising me that my wires could not be forwarded, and he replied that all my telegrams had first to be transmitted to the Governor-General at Hanoi before being sent to the cable station at Cape St. James, which caused delay.
Tauggested that i was under the impression that I was collecting news for English and American papers, but the present outcome seemed to be that the Governor-General for the time being was getting the sole benefit of that service, As it was impossible to get any satisfaction from the Chief of the Telegr"phs, 1 who always finally referred to his instructions from Hanoi, I asked him if he imgained that such action would prevent publicity of French doings, Ho replied that I could not telegraph, to which I rejoined not from Saigon, but I certainly would from Hongkong, for which port I hoped to sail on the following day.
He then changed his manner, and thought I might see the Lieutenant, Governor; but I pointed out I did not now intend to do that, as the Lieutenant-Governor, however sympathetic he might be, could not well reverse the orders of the Governor-General, Having taken the precaution to verify all my facts, before I handed in the cables, which facts were equally known to all the Consuls in Saigon, I wired to the Governor-General, resenting his tam-it one message and refusing to er, and pointed out that such action would only delay, and not event, publication, and would also volve an explanation.
Lleft Saigon at daylight on the Wednesday, and received no reply from Hanoi, Since, however, has been forwarded to me from Saigon a note, dated 2nd May, marked " Very urgent," from the Chiot of Telegraphs, who desired to soe me in the matter of telegrams. My telegrams wore not returned to me.
It may be of interest to give the cable which was refused at Saigon, but wired from Hongkong to London and Now York on the 7th inst Saigon, 30th April.
My visit to Camrauh and my personal observations have convinced me that without French assistance in allowing the Balticans to rendezvous there and to receive the fullest supplies of coal, cattle, water, fresh and other provisions, avd to make fall use of the French telegraphs, the Balticans would have been in sad straits, for when they all arrived on 12th April they were dangerously short of all supplies.
The fact that Camraoh is a magnificent bay, and is held as a concession by the Marquis de Bartélemy and the Marquis de Pontalis, who, as ooncessionaries, are allowed to receive cargo and to tranship it without same passing through the Customs, suggests a progrrangoment with the knomlolge of the Fro Immense quantities of coal and stores been stored at Saigon, with the full knowledge of the French authorities, for the Balticans for months past and kept ready for transhipment. The re-provisioning of the Balticans was openly Proceeded with under the direction of Prince Hoven, the captain of the interned Russian cruiser Diana, assisted by the Rassian naval contractors, Ginsberg and.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.