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The first and chief task of each committee will be the creation of this citadel. Its second task will be the disposition of the guards. They should be disposed inside the citadel only,
(J.)—Equipment.
We think that the equipment contemplated by Regulations Nos. 14 and 15 is sufficient. We would recommend that all arins other than the sporting gun should be of a standard pattern and should be requisitioned from the Police Department at scheduled prices. The duty of inspecting and teating arms should be imposed by law upon the Police Department. We consider a quarterly inspection of arms and ammuni- tion by a Police Officer to be necessary. In our opinion the supply of arms to ships under these regulations should be systematized under the Police Department. We would urge that arms and ammunition obtained from seizures or confiscations should not be made use of in this way, but that all arms and ammunition for this purpose should be pur- chased new by the Colonial Government from the Crown Agents. The Harbour Master should also under law have the duty of inspecting and testing the rockets and other portions of the marine equipment.
(k)-Carriage of arms.
We think that the certificated officers should carry arms at all times while the ship is in a danger zone with the exception of the engineer officers who are on duty in the engine room. On assuming duty in the engine room the engineer officer should take off his arms and place them ready to hand in some couvenient place in the engine room. When off duty while the ship is in a danger zone guards should remain in uniform and should continue to carry their revolvers and 25 rounds of ammunition. All arins should be carried loaded.
(1)-Care of arms.
The duty of inspecting and testing the ship's equipment and arms should be borne by the Master as at present. (Regulations Nos. 16 and 20).
(m.)-Carriage of rockets.
We recommend that detonating rockets be kept in a safe place on the bridge ready for immediate use.
(n.)--Guards, their employment.
We think that the number of guards required by the Regulations should not be increased except that in the case of ships travelling to Macao six guards are required, and where it is expected that treasure will be carried on a ship additional guards should be obtained from the Police Department. The duty of the guards should be to protect the citadel of the ship against piratical attack and when the ship is under weigh they should have no other duties whatever. While the ship is in port the Master may allot them other duties in the nature of the prevention of smuggling of arms and as ship's guarde generally as he may think fit provided that such port duties do not interfere with the proper functioning of their piracy prevention duties when the ship is at sea. When the ship is in a danger zone at least two guards and in the case of a ship required to carry six guards at least four guards shall be on duty protecting the citadel.
(o)—Guards, their training.
We recommend that recruits for service as ship's guards shall receive a course of training with the recruits of the Police Department until passed out as fit. The training should include drill and practice with the standard arms in actual use, rifle and revolver. They should also be subject to an annual term of instruction and musketry in the Police Department, their places being filled by substitutes from among the recruits in the interval. They should also be exercised weekly by the Master in the use of their weapons as at present required by Regulation No. 27.
(p.)—Officers and the use of arms.
We understand that some difficulty has been experienced by Masters in inducing officers to comply with the Piracy Regulations in this particular. Ordinary marine discipline does not include the observance of these Regulations. We would suggest the inclusion of a clause in marine articles signed in this port by which each man undertakes
to carry out the Regulations. Officers who are not prepared to use arms or who are not familiar with their use are unfit for marine service in the East. Opportunities might be given to officers to train themselves in port in the use of a revolver under a Police Officer.
(g)-Definition of "Danger Zone
The definition of a Danger Zone should be amended to operate immediately the ship leaves her wharf or mooring in Hongkong or is travelling within 120 miles of the Colony.
(r.)-Runners.
Regulations Nos. 46, 47 and 48 dealing with runners of Chinese hotels have not been enforced. Regular runners are already well known, and registration is of no value. We recommend that these regulations be abandoned.
(8.)--Search on the ships during the voyage.
We recommend an occasional inspection of river steamers in the Colonial waters when under weigh by a European Police Officer with the object of ensuring the perform- ance of the Regulations and also for the purpose of tracing arms and bad characters.
(t.)-Wireless.
We do not advise that any form of wireless apparatus should be made obligatory by the Piracy Regulations upon either ocean steamers or river steamers (Commander Beckwith dissenting as regards ocean steamers). The cost of the installation of com- plete transmitting and receiving apparatus together with the salary of the operator would be prohibitive in the case of river steamers. An automatic transmitting apparatus, designed on being set in motion to continue sending out a given signal of distress is not yet, so far as we have been able to ascertain, on the market, although oo difficulty need be anticipated in inventing such an instrument. If and when such an instrument may be available, its installation upon local ships should be of great advantage as a deterrent to piracy. To render the system effective, it would be necessary with the co-operation of the authorities in Macao and in Kwang Tung to make use of constant patrols consist- ing of vessels of types possessed at the present time primarily by the Naval Authorities. Without this patrol in readiness the wireless installation on ships would be a waste of
money.
(u.)-Co-operation with the authorities in Macao and in Kwang Tung. We recognise that the arrangements made on board the ships themselves form part only of what it is necessary to do in order to cope with piracy. Measures to be taken external to the ship are equally essential to the solution of the problem. We believe that it would have a most salutary effect if a plan of patrols, whether Naval or Colonial, could be established and worked in conjunction with Portuguese and Chinese patrols. If possible these patrols should be in wireless communication. They should have a subs- tantially higher speed than the river steamers and should work to a prearranged plan. We recommend also that both in Macao and in Chinese ports the local authorities be requested to conduct a search of passengers both leaving and arriving, and of their baggage at least as stringent as the search conducted in this Colony by the Hongkong Police. It seems probable that the arms used by the pirates on the S.S. Sui An were carried on board by passengers who embarked in Mação.
(v.)-Search by the Hongkong Police Force.
One of the measures on which most reliance has been placed is the search conducted of passengers and baggage on the wharves in Hongkong by the Hongkong Police before the departure of each ship. We think that the comparative absence of piracies on ships leaving Hongkong is to be attributed chiefly to the efficiency of this search and to its moral effect. In our opinion it is urgent that the Police searching parties should be strengthened. The standard searching party should consist of eight Chinese Police and We one female searcher. The present European supervision seems to us to be sufficient. consider that the search parties on the wharves should be supported by the co-operation of a police pinnace in order to see that only junks and sampans having legitimate business approach the steamers at any time. With reference to Ocean steamers under the Piracy Regulations leaving from their buoys in the Harbour we recommend that one Chinese detective should be placed on board for at least eight hours prior to the ship's departure.
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