214
Prge 5 of Fnclosure No.4 (.)
doubt known to the Anti-Piracy Committee, the supply of guards from the lsyon Commend is indefinite and it is suggested that the Anti-Piracy Committee may see their way to Sppro: ching the Singapore authorities for & definite allotment of numbers available for escort duties. Should this not bc Tec sible owing to the local requirements of the Maleyan Commnd, perhaps the deficiency could be made up from Hongkong and Shanghai.
Further, it has just come to our knowledge that at the present time of considerable disturbance in the Yangtse valley, there are not sufficient Navel guards available both for the protection of life at the various ports and for the protection of shipping, consequently guards have been withdrown from British ships at a time when it is specially important they should be forthcoming, and it is sincerely trusted that measures will be taken to fill this deficiency as soon as possible.
Although the present trouble is internal, it is nevertheless piracy, and the Ching Navigation Company, Limited, the re fure maintain that it is for H.M. Government to afford them, as tax-payers, all the protection necessary.
96 H.M.Government's assumption only holds gond provided that recommendations Nos. 1 to 6 are found to be practic: blo, about which there is considerable doubt.
Commenting in generel upon the recommendations, the feeling cannot be avoided that they do not altogether fit in with conditions on the China corst, and although they end the comments of the Anti-Piracy Committee are thoroughly appreciated, we would urge that the simple solution to the problem is the brovision of rdequate armed guards.
On the assumption that Indiens end Chinese are not satisfactory and that sufficient suitable Furopeans are not evsilable on the Chine corst, there would appear to be nothing left except for steamers to be given escorts of Navɛl or Military guards, or perhaps mon recruited by the Hongkong police.
It is believed that one of the objections of H.. Government to the continued provision of guards is their cost, but without having definite knowledge, it would seen that so far there has been no expense at all to the British taxpayer in this respect, All incidental expenses have been borne by the shipping companies and we have not heard that the provision of armed guards heg involved any additional recruiting, or that the personnel of the Army has been increased in sny way. On the contrary, rations to the troops while travelling on the steamers have been provided by the shipping companies, which should meɛn some saving in expense to the Military authorities. On the subject of cost, it occurs to us also, that in all proba- bility a system of armed guards is less expensive than system of Naval patrols.
NOTE
Since writing the foregoing, insormation has been received by the Hongkong police that chother piroy is likely to be attempted in the immediate future, by r Bics Boy ging. This shows that the pirates are by no means deterred and it emphasises the vital necessity for an cdequate supply of armed guards on board British steamers on the coast.