CO129-498-1 Indepartmental conference on Piracy- report 12-1-1926 - 20-4-1926 — Page 27

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had not wholeheartedly endorsed the view of the Colonial

Government.

Sir G. Grindle said that the Colonial Office was quite prepared to send a despatch to the Governor on the lines desired by Sir E. Stubbs, and he felt that the other Depart-

ments would also concur.

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The Board of Trade representatives were not prepared to express a definite opinion off hand, and it was accordingly agreed that a draft despatch should be prepared and cirsulated to the other Departments for concurrence.

The Admiralty representative enquired whether there would be any advantage to be gained by increasing the cost of registration and applying the proceeds to maintaining anti-

piracy forces.

Sir E. Stubbs thought that the Colony would never agree to expending any additional revenue which might be derived in this way on additional naval forces.

The Board of Trade representative expressed the view that even if the registration fees were doubled they would hardly act as a deterrent.

Sir E. Stubbs agreed, and pointed out that the regis- tration fee is only paid once, and that the profits on a single voyage are so great that an increase in the fee will have no

effect,

Sir G Grindle then referred to the suggestions which had been made that ships subject to the Piracy Regulations should be required to carry wireless telegraph apparatus and

operators.

Sir E. Stubbs thought that no useful purpose would be served by such a requirement. Experiments with automatic wireless apparatus had been conducted in Hong Kong and the

results