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THE HONGKONG GOVERNMENT GAZETTE, AUGUST 17, 1917.
No. 374. The following notification, taken from the Official Bulletin issued at Washington, U.S.A., on the 5th July, 1917, is published, by command.
17th August, 1917.
CLAUD SEVERN,
Colomal Sreretary.
Rule that Watch Officers of U. S. Ships shall be American Citizens Suspended.
The following Executive order is made public by the Department of Commerce : "In pursuance of the authority conferred upon the President of the United States by section 2 of the act approved August 18, 1914, entitled 'An act to provide for the admission of foreign-built ships. to American registry for foreign trade, and for other purposes,' it is hereby ordered:
"That the provisions of law prescribing that the watch officers of vessels of the United States, registered for the foreign trade shall be citizens of the United States, are hereby suspended so far and for such length of time as is herein provided, namely:
That all citizens or subjects of nations which are or which hereafter may be engaged in the present war against the Imperial German Government or any of its allies, and all such citizens or subjects of neutral nations as shall satisfy the Secretary of Com- merce that their attitude toward the purposes of the United States in the war it is now waging is not detrimental to the successful prosecution of the war, may, for the duration of the war, be permitted to act as watch officers of vessels of the United States, regis- tered for foreign trade, if otherwise qualified :
"Provided, that if it shall appear to the satisfaction of the Secretary of Commerce that any such citizen or subject, whether of a belligerent or a neutral nation, has corn- mitted any act inimical to the United States in the conduct of the war, the said Secretary may, in each such case, withdraw the exemption provided for herein, and such exemption shall not again apply to any such alien citizen or subject.
"And the Secretary of Commerce is hereby authorized to prescribe such rules and regulations as may be necessary to carry this order into effect."
The effect of this order will be to greatly facilitate the manning of merchant vessels with competent crews. There are many English and Scandinavian watch officers available, now that the prohibition has been removed requiring that such officers be American citizens, and this new source of supply, coupled with the watch officers that are now being trained and will be trained at the various schools inaugurated under the auspices of the United States Shipping Board, is expected to furnish all the officers needed for the American merchant marine, so soon to have many new ships in commis- sion.
TREASURY.
No. 375.-Financial Statement for the month of May, 1917.
REVENUE AND EXPENDITURE.
Balance of Assets and Liabilities on 30th April, 1917,... Revenue from 1st to 31st May, 1917,
.$ 2,173,243.85 1,152,621.02
3,325,864.87 897,411.25
Expenditure from 1st to 31st May, 1917,
Balance,.....
.$ 2,428,453.62