CO129-487 - Others & Individuals - 1924 — Page 53

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natural from their military training, they cannot understand any form of dual control:

Any dereliction of duty, offences against discipline and even crimes (enclosure c.) are reported to and investigated by the officers of that Department and not dealt with, under sworn evidence, by a Magistrate. The penalties inflicted are in most cases ridiculously inadequate and are robbed of my other correctional value by the immediate return of the same guard to the same vessel to serve under the same officers who have just been flouted sufficiently to nullify any authority that these ridiculous pro- ceedings have left to them.

The following telegram has been received from Hongkong:-

"Government cannot accept view that arms and armed "guards should be removed from vessels but is in "correspondence with Chamber of Commerce as to "introducing insurance against death or disability

caused through piracy attack".

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Thus are the Mercantile Marine Officers handicappad in their endeavours to do their bit. Thus are their traditions ruthlessly attacked, Every development of this essentially Bautical matter is submitted for the consideration of landsmen (stockbrokers, merchants, military officers, policemen, and bankera) the only part left to the practical sailor man being obedience to paradoxical, and therefore impossible, orders.

It is submitted with the utmost deference that the privi- lege of protecting British commerce and British lives at sea 18, by inalienable right, accorded to the Royal Navy and, in the glorious traditions of the Senior Service, there is no known instance when this has not been accepted as a paramount duty cheer- fully undertaken.

It is further submitted that it is impossible for the Royal Navy to deal adequately with this eminently maritime and international matter as long as any control is exercised by a Civil Department of a Colonial Government.

The apologies of the members of the Mercantile Marine on the China coast are tendered for the length of this communication, but the importance of the subject leads them to the hope that it will receive a very sympathetic consideration.

This letter, with the enumerated enclosures and accompanied by various press comments which have appeared in the local press, has also been addressed to:-

The Marine Engineers' Association, Ltd., London,

The Imperial Merchant Service Guild.

The Foreign Office.

We have the honour to be, Sir,

Your obedient servants,

Imabon

Secretary.

Motores

Branch Secretary.