C
20500
367
(COPY) 1.772
REC?
IREC? 25 AUG 09.
3.3."Wonchow"
Amoy
Dec.2nd 1908
The Secretary,
Merchant Service Guild,
Dear Sir,
Liverpool.
I venture to submit to you the following remarks as to the abuse of the practice of using flugs of tho International Code for private purposes by Harbour Authorities etc and to suggest a means of remedying the consequent confusion hoping that if the idea outlined
below seems desirable and practicable it will be sub-
mitted by you to the proper authorities for considera-
tion.
In many ports abroad and at home various flags of the International Code have been appropriated as call flags by Dock Companies, Shipchandlers, etc, also by shipowers to denote a number assigned to the ships, and by larbour Authorities as berthing signals and to
convey information regarding incoming steamers. In the
first case the use of the flags J.&.E which have a
special significance in the British Simal Manual is
likely to lead to embarrassing mistakes more especially if a man of war be in port. For instance in this port
E is the call flag for an Engineering Co and J for
& water boat company. I have taken steps to bring this
before the notice of the authorities here.
In Shanghai local steamers have numbers assigned
to