Kong Government; while so borne he will be entitled to wear the uniform of his rank in the Royal Navy but will b responsible solely to the Governor of the Colony.
The Governor proposes that the Commanding Offia of the vessel should be a volunteer and Commander Hartfor recommends that the First Lieutenant and Sub-Lieutenant should also be volunteers. If the Governor is satisfied that volunteers can be obtained in the Colony with suffic nautical experience to take the vessel to sea and to prod for her safety under any conditions that are likely to be with My Lords will have no objection to this arrangement.
With regard to the volunteers generally, Cor Hartford has expressed the opinion that, while members off new force would be prepared to perfom all the duties of: ratings in time of war or emergency, social conditions at Hong Kong make this impossible in time of peace, and that volunteers should not be required in time of peace to ude take ship cleaning and similar duties which should be perf by Chinese specially entered for the purpose. The force.
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would thus be of the nature of an Officers' Training Corps, but Commander Hartford proposes the men should be known as "Volunteers" instead of "Able Seamen" etc: it is understood also that they would wear a special uniform and would be given superior accommodation afloat and certain additional privileges not ordinarily enjoyed by naval ratings. On mobilisation such volunteers as were found sufficiently qualified would receive commissions in the Hong Kong R.N.V.R. from the Governor of the Colony; the remainder would necessarily have to be assimilated to existing ratings in the Royal Navy and would accordingly be given Hong Kong R.N.V.R. ratings corresponding to those in the Royal Navy, e.g. Petty Officer, Leading Seaman, Able Seaman, etc.
While My Lords appreciate the reasons which render it desirable to call the members of the force "Volunteers" in time of peace instead of "Able Seamen", etc. it is necessary to point out that
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