Necessity of a British coal bunker station on North Borneo according to the Dutch newspaper De locomotief dated 21 March 1904

An item reported that on 15 February the representative Weird asked in the House of Commons the commissie for defence of the empire had not considered to buy from the British North Borneo Company (1) in which territory coal could be find a piece of land alongside the Gaya bay to establish a naval station. The home secretary (2) answered on behalf of Balfour (3) that the decisions of the commission were secret.

Notes

1.The North Borneo Chartered Company or British North Borneo Company, founded on 1 November 1881 exploiting North Borneo (nowadays Sabah, Malysia), since 1888 protectorate of the British Empire.

.2 That should be Aretas Akers-Douglas 1st Viscount Chilston (21 October 1851-15 January 1926), Conservative politcian, 11 August 1902-5 December 1905

3. Arthur James Balfour 1st Earl of Balfour (25 July 1848-19 March 1930), Conservative politician and prime minister 12 July 1902-4 December 1905.