CO129-563-18 Sino-Japanese War- stopping of British shipping by Japanese 11-9-1937 - 29-12-1937 — Page 69

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28.10.37-)

BRITISH EMBASSY,

WASHINGTON, D.C.,

7074

September 20th, 1937.

mess

I have the honour to report that the United States

Maritime Commission have offered to pay a cash bonus to each

officer and member of the crew of Government-operated vessels

entering certain zones in the Mediterranean and the Far ast.

2.

A similar offer by the shipping companies had

previously been refused by the Seamen's Unions, which have

been demanding a bonus of $250 for each voyage, but it is

pertinent to observe that, according to the Commission's

published statement on the subject, the bonus is in addition

to the protection afforded to the seamen of Government-

operated vessels by the United States Employees Compensation

Act.

3.

40

A copy of the text of the Commission's statement

is enclosed herein and it will be seen from the definition

whion it gives of the shipping zones in which the bonus will be operative that these are far wider in the Far East than

in the Mediterranean. In the former case the whole of the

Yellow Sea and East China Sea Korth of Hong Kong is covered, whereas in the Mediterranean only spanish territorial waters

and the waters between the Balearic Islands and continental

Spain are constituted as danger zones.

I am sending a copy of this despatch to the

Department of Overscas Trade.

S. S

The Right donourable

Anthony Eden, M.C., M.P.,

etc., etc.,

etc.

I have etc..

($imed)

V.A.L. Mallet

H.M. Chargé d'Affaires.