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CHINA COAST OFFICERS' GUILD.
Hong Kong Branch.
THE MARINE ENGINEERS' GUILD
OF CHINA,
Hong Kong Branch.
Sailors' Home,
Hong Kong, 2nd June, 1924.
The Right Honourable J.H.Thomas, M.P.,
Principal Secretary of State for the Colonies,
Downing Street, LONDON, S.W.1.
Sir,
We have the honour to confirm our cable of
this date (Bentley's code) which, decoded, should
read as follows:-
"Combined Societies China Coast British
Mercantile farine Officers 1600 strong strongly protest (against) appointment new Harbour Master
Hong Kong without local knowledge. Under prevailing conditions typhoons piracy this is utmost importance. Present acting official eminently suitable.
post".
Await letter now in the
From our previous letter, dated Shanghai,
17th March, 1924, and from the various reports in the
British Press, you will be aware that the shipping of
the China Coast, and more especially that portion based
on Hong Kong, has suffered severely from piratical
outrages.
The old Piracy Ordinance of 1914, with certain alterations, has been re-enacted, Indian and
European Guards are carried in the vessels and a system of convoy under escort has been instituted on the Canton river delta, in the hope of suppressing
this scourge.
These measures are still in the
experimental stage and the amount of success which has
crowned them is, in a very great degree, due to the
intense study of the situation by the present Acting
Harbour Master.
This