Sessional_Paper_1927 — Page 101

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Fortunately the vessel did not drift ashore, but was carried down mid-stream with the current. The pirates seeing that their object was defeated made no attack on the bridge but jumped over-board and swam to the shore. It is said that several were shot as they were swimming away but this is doubtful as it was a dark night and it was impossible to be certain of the results.

The "Sanning" another vessel of the convoy turned around and tried to stand by, but she could render no assistance whatever, in fact she only became an additional target for the rifles of the disappointed desperadoes on shore who fired at both vessels until they were out of range.

It is considered that if it is necessary to retain certain of the Regulations until Naval patrols (hereinafter referred to) are provided, it certainly is not necessary to stiffen the existing Regulations but on the contrary they should be considerably modified and all that is required is that the bridge and the engine room and stokehold entrances should be protected, and the officers armed.

Grilles. The grilles are a real source of danger. They interfere with the access of the passengers to the boats and in all probability will be the cause of great loss of life in the event of a vessel carrying them incurring any maritime casualty. The Re- gulations so far as they relate to grilles are in direct opposition to the provisions of the Merchant Shipping Acts. The Board of Trade requirements as to the Survey of Life Saving Appliances 1920 par. 160 are as follows "Proper provision must be made for access of passengers to the embarkation deck and for controlling and martialling them and finally embarking them in the lifeboats in the shortest possible time'. The present requirements under the Piracy Prevention Regulations are to keep all passengers other than those of first class below the bridge deck, which in all river steamers is also the boat deck. In the case of river steamers all access from the main or lower deck is cut off from the next deck above or from the saloon deck by means of locked spar gratings across the companionway. Passengers in the second class accommodation on the saloon deck aft are separated from the first class passengers forward and from the deck above by means of locked gratings and grills. No officers or guards are below the bridge deck, that is the deck above those on which the majority of the passengers (in many instances over 1000) are carried. In the event of a panic arising from fire collision or maritime casualty the people below decks would be unable to reach the boat deck because of the locked grilles. The ships officers in the event of a collision would be fully occupied with their respective duties and therefore unable to attend to the unlocking of the grilles. If the guards had keys it is unlikely that they would have sufficient pre- sence of mind or sufficient initiative to do anything of us.

In some steamers which

other

come within the purview of the Regulation there are something like 30 locks to unfasten before all the grilles can be opened. No means of releasing bolts simultaneously is feasible in ships of the class concerned. Furthermore owing to the grills the crews of these vessels would have the greatest difficulty in getting to the boats themselves. In the event of an outbreak of fire or a collision and a serious loss of life occurring owing to passengers being penned below, who would be held responsible: the Hong Kong Govern- ment who framed the Regulations or the Owners and their Officers who were compelled to carry them out?

Indian Guards. There are approximately 900 Indian Guards employed at a cost to the shipping companies of some $270,000 per annum. Neither owners whose property is at stake, nor officers whose lives are at stake have the slightest confidence in them. Their training is inadequate and their discipline is bad and their bad discipline affects the discipline of the other members of the crew. These guards although nominally on the ship's articles are paid through the Police and consider themselves as police and resent receiving orders from the ship's officers. In an appendix hereto a number of cases is quoted, showing the bad discipline and inefficiency of the Guards. This list of cases is by no means exhaustive but merely illustrative of the matter raised in this paragraph.

It is the opinion of both the owners and the officers (as it is the generally accepted view all the world over) that the Master of a vessel should have complete control over all members of his crew at all times when the vessel is at sea, and it is felt