CO129-547-3 China Piracy- anti piracy guards 25-1-1934 - 3-12-1934 — Page 40

085/5015.(.0.1.)

[14]

Sir,

1934.

I am commanded by the Army Council to acknowledge receipt of Admiralty letter no.5.01754/34 dated 19th July, 1934, on the subject of the provision of naval or military guards for critish vessels, and forwarding a copy of a letter which the Lorda Commissioners of the dmiralty propose to send to Mesare John wire long, itd.

2. I am to state, for the information of their Lordships, that the coursil are of opinion that the shipping companies should pay the full cost of the guards for the following reusons -

3.

a) In keroh, 1930, the Cabinet laid down the financial conditions on whinh guards were to be provided; the anipping companies appealed in the ligh Court of Justice age inst this decision but lost their case in april, 1932.

મ

(b) sxperience has shown that as long as the

shipping companies can get the guards an an 'extra cost" basis, they will not take the requisko measures for their own defence in accordance with the advice of the commander- in-chief, chirm

I am to add that the vounoil are in general a_reement with the draft letter to .eeers John wire and Sons, Ltd, but, in view of paragraph 2 above, su cest that the last sentence or paragraph 7, dealing with the temporary arrangement prior to lat April, 1930, might be omitted.

The Secretary of the admiralty,

hitehall, *. .1.

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