2 137
possible:
and as regards "suspected” vessels it is laid down that the crew should remain on board and should only leave the vessel for purposes effecting their duties.
Sea Titre VIII. The crew could, under those circumstances, always be kept on board after removal of the sick from infected vessels, as well as in the case of suspected vessels.
And in so far as the difficulty experienced at Hong Kong is concerned with "the large coolie traffic", the Convention distinctly exempts such traffic from the restrictions imposed under it, and it gives absolute discretion to each Government to deal with traffic of this sort in the manner which is deemed best under the local circumstances. So last paragraph of Titre V. Sections 4 & 5.
The views of the Secretary of State for the Colonies as here set out are, in my opinion, perfectly correct. In Titre VIII of the Convention "surveillance" is alone contemplated as regards infected, suspected, and healthy vessels. But, in "III Mesures à prendre pour prévenir l'importation de la Peste, 2. Voie maritime", where the protection of Egypt, and the basin of the Mediterranean was primarily in question, definite detention under observation is contemplated in the case of suspected and infected vessels; and if, under the circumstances of Hong Kong, surveillance were deemed impracticable, it would, I believe, be quite con-