CO129-570-10 Sino-Japanese War- Japanese seizure of the S.S. ASIAN- claims 15-2-1938 - 12-12-1938 — Page 27

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documents necessary for vessels under British ownership.

4.

With regard to (8), the vessel was commissioned only on the 6th of February so that there were naturally no entries in the log-book before that date. (The old log books had been removed by the previous owners),

5.

With regard to (3), transfer of nationality,

the following are the circumstances.

The present owners inspected the vessel in August, 1957, but did not open serious negotiations for purchase until October, the vessel being paid for and delivery accepted on December 31st. Permission to transfer

the ship to British registry was sought on December 3rd and

approval was given on December 29th, but, before registra-

tion was finally granted, the vessel had to undergo survey

by the British Government Marine surveyors at Hongkong

and owing to considerable repairs being necessary which

were not completed until the end of January, 1958, the

Hongkong register was not issued until the 2nd February,

1958.

6.

Thus the orew who were unaware of the registration

formalities were correct in stating that the transfer of

ownership, 1.e. the transfer as far as it affected them, had

taken place some two months before the detention of the ship.

The Captain was transferred to the s.s. "Asian" only on the

13th January and was under the impression that the transfer

had been made in August, 1937, at the time of the first

inspection, since when the vessel had been laid up in

Alongkong,