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under way, they can, of course, hold up the ship as they
did in the "Anking's" case, and get away with substantial
booty if from the passengers alone.
The question of supplying all British passenger ships
on the China Coast with military or naval guards is fraught
with difficulties, but these do not seem to me entirely in-
surmountable.
After several conversations with H.E. and General
Luard, it occurred to me that it might be possible to arran-
ge that the South China Command, North China and straits
Commands, might jointly supply the guarls necessary for
the protection of C. N. Co. passenger ships running in the
Straits/Amoy/Swatow trade and Shanghai/moy/Swatow/.K. /
Canton trade, the guards for the latter line being drawn
from the Northern Command, the Southern Cormand and the
Straits jointly providing for the Southern line.
After all, a large number of troops are at present
based on China for protective purposes, and while there is
always present the possibility of disturbance on land,
the direction at the present time in which protection is
is that of unquestionably needed and needed urgently
J
pirący. Even were the troops suddenly required for duty
on land, they rould be available at short notice from the
ships on which they were acting. I realise, of course,
that strictly this is not a case for the military, but is
rather the Navy's affair, but as the latter have not the
personnel available and the military are not actively occu-
pied, I cannot conceive of any more worthy purpose, for
their service.
This season the Military Authorities chartered one of
our/
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