CO129-517-5 The visit of the Duke of Gloucester to Hong Kong 2-5-1929 - 23-5-1929 — Page 5

The China Coast Officers' Guild.

HEAD OFFICE: 6, YUEN MING YUEN ROAD, SHANGHAI. SECRETARY: W. E. KIRBY. TELEPHONE: CENTRAL 2520.

87 DES VOEUX ROAD CENTRAL

BRANCH OFFICE:

The Marine Engineers' Guild of China.

HEAD OFFICE: 21, JINkee Road, SHANGHAI,

SECRETARY : J. WATSON.

TELEPHONE: CENTRAL 2717.

67 DES VOEUX ROAD

, HONGKONG.

BRANCH OFFICE: $

CENTRAL

HONGKONG.

BRANCH SECRETARY: W. J. STOKES.

TELEPHONE: 3550.

ASSISTANT SECRETARY: T. T. LAURENSON.

TELEPHONE:

2.6867.

5

CABLE ADDRESS:

** CHICOGUI" SHANGHAI & HONGKONG- CODES: BENTLEYS & A.B.C. 5TH EDITION.

CABLE ADDRESS:

"PISTONROD SHANGHAI & HONGKONG. CODES: BENTLEYS & A.B.C. 5TH EDITION.

Hong Kong, 17th. May 1929.

The Right Honourable

The Secretary of State for the Colonies,

per favour of His Excellency the Governor,

Hong Kong.

Sir,

We have the honour to forward for your information the copy of a letter addressed by these Guilds to the Colonial Secretary Hong Kong.

We feel that an unfortunate slur has been cast upon a great Service which has been honoured by His Majesty the King in the appointment of His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales to be the Master and who in a book recently published and entitled "The Merchant Navy" has said: -

"Let us, who are land-dwellers not mince words "over this thing. It is the glory of our "Merchant Navy and will be acclaimed for "generations to come, that they faced without "hesitation the tremendous odds and the frequent "hazard of death, undaunted in spirit to the "bitter end".

"Let us not forget also, that had it been "otherwise this country of ours must have "perished".

In view of these facts is it any wonder that the strongest possible protest is made, to the obvious affront to which we have drawn attention.

We have the honour to be,

Sir,

Your obedient servants,

Hthaurenson

Mototes

Mototes

Branch Secretaries.