39.
"(c) Control of Fassengers".
203
In reviewing piracy it is important that the
position of the compradore and other conditions peculiar
The
to China coast shipping should be appreciated.
Compradore in the capacity of ships agent has almost
complete control of the comercial side and has considerable
influence with the firms. The number of passengers carried
is the direct concern of the comprado re and ho can generally
avoia interference by the ship's officers in any question
connected with passengers and cargo.
40.
•
Under the present regime, generally speaking,
nothing is done which might affect the passenger list
adversely. Searching, for instance, if carried out on
board at all, is very perfunctory. Only the more timid
are searched. Virtually, except at Hong Kong and Singapore,
no supervision of passengers is tolerated.
41,
Further, what could only be termed "abuses"
elsewhere are "winked at" on the China coast. In the
smaller ships it is common to find that most of the
available space is occupied by unofficial passengers who
have bribed some member of the ship's company. These
so-called passengers, who are virtually stowaways, may be
housed in store-rooms, living-rooms or even coal-hunkers.
In the case of the S. S. "DELI MARU" the catin boys, no
doubt un suspectingly, sold their cabin to members of a
pirate gang.
42.
Sometimes stowaways, by means of bribery, obtain
their passage by passing as members of the ship's company.