1936-02-05 — Page 6

-THE HONGKONG Telegraph!, WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 1936,

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The

Hongkong Telegraph.

WEDNESDAY, FEB, 5, 1936.

U.S. NEUTRALITY CONTROVERSY

policy of isolation at all costs on the other, there are ranged those who believe that the United States, although not a member of the League of Nations, should do her utmost to uphold the principles to

to

which that body, stands com- mitted. In view of America's adherence various pacts aimed at preventing war and stapping it once it breaks out, there should be doubt as to her attitude in such a contingency

THE captain, navigat- ing officers, engin-

eers, apprentices, and crews all hate the sea

these days.

By that I mean they hate the conditions in which they have to work. Perhaps it has always been like that, and our ideas of the glories of the sen have just been based on ignorance.

After all we have been the world's premier maritime power. for 284 years. The officers and men of the merchant navy have been. the Royal Navy's first re- serve throughout the centuries.

And now these officers and men want to leave the sen. So many of them are looking for "shore jobs" that when a £4 a week harbourmaster's job was vacant recently there were 600 applicants from the sea. The Officers' Federation has been called on to give advice to sailor- men urging them not to put their little savings into mysteri- our businesses in order to find a shore job.

*

*

the

that, FURTHER than

federation and the National Union of Teachers combined to produce a pamphlet for parents,

DON'T

send

your

boy to sea.

whose refrain might be describ. ed as, "Don't send your boy to sea, Mr. Worthington."

And the whole story from the water-front is coming to Parlin- ment and the homes of the land- lubbera' this year, curly in

February.

-by-

TREVOR

EVANS

tive operation, on what date Parliament will be asked to did it cease to be so?" asked amend, the Merchant Service the board responsible for the Acts, and the Board of Tralle welfare of shipping. will be urged to apply safety regulations more rigorously. The Board of Trade did not

HERE is why our shipping

lawa were antiquated. Tho Merchant Shipping Act was con- celved in the idens of Drake's time and the sailing ship days. It has not been amended since 1906.

In the meantime there have come into being motor ships, Diesel engine ships, oil burning ships, ships with super-heaters, and ships with self-trimming devices.

Britain, still the greatest maritime power in the world, only recently defined what a deck-hand is. But there is no law indicating wage scales for sailors, firemen, and stewards. Australia is more advanced than Britain in this respect.

A ship trading from a United Kingdom port carrying fower than twelve passengers may go abroad from the Elbe to Brest over the world's most congested waterways without carrying a single qualified officer on the bridge or in the engine-room.

There are British ships trad- ing between two foreign ports single Briton on without a

board.

*

*

SINCE the war the Govern- ment has left control of the know in July 1935 whether as mercantile marine .. to the Within the last year two of agreement of great importance National Mercantile Board, on the greatest authorities on ship- to British shipping was in force which are representatives of ping in this country have assur- or not. The fact is, this agree-shipowners, officers, and sea- ed us that all is well.

ment has been in operation men. But the board has no since 1929.

*

Mr. Walter Runciman, Presi- dent of the Board of Trade,

撒

NOTES OF THE DAY laws, and on March 26, 1935, ping was safer than ever.

PEACE, PROGRESS AND

PROSPERITY

of his

time,

before the end of 1935, and did not include 1935.

statutory authority, and ship. owners can, and do, snap their

*

*

THE second officer in one of the biggest liners leaving this country for the East," de clared Earl Howe in the House of Lords, "responsible under the captain for the navigation of the ship, has a maximum salary of

very nearly an

member of a family distinguish- THEN, a month ago the Cham-fingers at its agreements. ed in shipping, and the Minister ber of Shipping issued a Well, the officers have broken responsible for the administra- remarkably reassuring docu- the tradition of their profes- tion of our antiquated shipping ment to prove that British ship- sion and have decided to fight along trade union lines. No in the House of Commons, “Our

more velvet-glove mothods. manning scale and method in a

"With a view to correcting The officers' leaders, with model for the whole world,” any wrong inferences that may

be drawn from isolated dis-grave deliberation, admit they Mind you, the Officers' (Mer- asters." explained the Cham- have even considered the use of chant Navy) Federation in a ber, "the following statement the strike weapon as an ulti- This Late Majesty King George Vadded: "If our antiquated Mer- is now two and a half times as

recent report have irreverently has been issued. Our shipping mate argument. They call it "laying-up" ship. Captains and The controversy that is rag-

chief engineers are exempt was a firm friend of the League chant Shipping Acts provide a safe us before the war,”

from this order. ing in the United States on theef Nationa, and during his life-model for the world it is time

But the Chamber's statement

What are their complaints? question of an extension of the time showed that his own philo-the world followed a more up- provisions of the Neutrality sophy hul much in common with to-date model in shipping mat- was prepared three or four days

A British first officer receives that on which the international in-ters!"

£16 48. a month. His Dutch BIB is easily understandable. Istitution at Geneva was founded. Mr. Runciman's advisors at

counterpart recoives £30 13s, 4d. On the one side, we have those Like most of the leading statesmen the Board of Trade " few The National Union of Sea. a month; French £25 198, 5d.;' who want America to follow a

this Sovereign months later marred the value men, furious at what they call German £23 28. 2d.; Danish recognised that only by the paths of Mr Runciman's proud-boast ber," have prepared statistics Norwegian £19 28. 11d. Only "whitewashing_by_the_Cham- £21 17s. 6d. Italian £10.48.and of peace could a great Empire on the floor of the House. progress from strength to greater

from official sources which in- Belgium, Spain, Latvia, and strength, and to lasting prosperity.had been asked in the House as 1935.

For four months questions clude the toll of life on sea in Esthonia, among European maritime nations, are lower in Whenever he had the opportunity to whether subsidies from the

officers* wage scales than he stressed the need for world annual £2,000,000 public fund including 1935, 186 Hves were per cent. of the world's 'ship- For the three years up to and Britain, still the owner of 27.39 recognition of this truth. Like the for helping to build new ships lost from British crews. Greeks, this Monarch appreciated would be given only to ship was the worst triennial return

That ping. that man's best works were accom- owners who observe the full since 1924-26, when, by a co-

an plished in atmosphere of conditions laid down by the incidence, the toll ha also 186. security; and that security could National Maritime Board only be assured when peace was whose functions I will describe "We are now beginning to guaranteed. It

later). was for His

feel the result of the reductions in manning of British ships in Majesty's funeral that so many of

The reply given by Govern- 1933," declare the aeumen. the statesmen and rulers of Europe ment spokesmen was evasive. assembled in London recently, and, And this is why Two days after Round our coasts 1935 was four guineas a week. A typist the fact that advantage was taken a demand had been made that the busiest year for the lifeboat commanda of their presence there, and in subsidies should be given only service for nineteen years. equivalent salary." Paris later, to institute converanto good shipowners who ob- There were 376 launches to as has arisen by Italy openly tions of diplomatic character is serve the rules, officials at the vessels in distress. In the last They swear they will no disregarding her covenants not easily understood. The criticism National Maritime Board ask saved from crippled ships by the permit secret wage cuts by Board of Trade wrote to the three years 1,068 lives were longer tolerate conditions which to resort to wars of aggression. in some circles that these mening if an agreement about cer- lifeboat-men. And out-of-date owners whose conditions, of em. Yet so strong is the American came to mourn and not to talk tain ships having to carry three foreign ships cannot be blamed. ployment are that full official politics seems rather far-fotched officers was still in force. "If Of the 1,068 rescued seamen, tradition not to become en-

wages are nominally paid, but when one remembers how keen was this agreement is not in effec-only; 176 were foreigners.

10 per cent. must be "volun- tangled in outside quarrels that the late Sovereign for any labour |

tarily handed back to the com- there

is natural hesitancy to in the interests of peace. We are

pany; where four English ap- prentices work under a Chinese take any step which might in- sure he would have been happy to

boatswain in a ship whose sole volve the United States in

think that, to crown his efforts in

crew consists of four. Chinese this sphere, his funeral had served another war. Before theto

scamen; where the captain and officers are forced to do manual Neutrality Bill came into being,

labour, leaving a seaman to supporters of the Lengue con-

steer without a look-out, with sidered with dubious and

instructions to whistle the offi- cers if another ship is sighted; anxious eyes the prospect of a these specific circumstances, I

where occasional passengers are rigid American refusal to allow desire it to be understood that

carried and apprentices have to any dimunition of U.S. trading any of our people who volun-

sleep in the captain's bathroom; and where the shipowners are rights. But it was soon seentarily engage in transactions of

not responsible for medical that the Roosevelt Government, any character with either bel-

treatment for injuries if the vic- tim la landed at'an English port. at the first test, interpreted ligerent do so at their own

(Shipowners are responsible for strict neutrality in such a way risk." Whatever may have been

medical treatment in a foreign as to make possible co-operation President Roosevelt's intentions

port.). with the League In collective in taking this course, the im- measures to restrain a peace-pression created was that the breaker. In the proclamation League,could proceed with Its which he issued in October, the measures against Italy, the de- President put an embargo on knowledge that

|fined aggressor, confident in the the United the export, to either country States would not stand in the involved in the dispute, of arms, way of

their effectiveness.

bring together men of prominence 'who could further the world's plans for security.

| munitions and implements of When all is said and done, the war. The reasons for his ac- observation, made by the tion were plainly stated in the Chinese Ambassador to Wush- [ington, Mr. Alfred Szc, that words that he was "obliged to

a neutrality policy based on recognise the simple and:

more isolation cannot contribute indisputable fact that Ethiopian to world-orderliness, hits off the and Italian prmed forces. position to a nicoty. It would

combat bo strange indeed were America

to be rogardless of the necessity of doing all that lies within her power to see that violators of

are engaged in a which is creating a state of war within the intent and mean- ing of the joint resolution of world panco are not permitted Congress." He added, "In a free hand.

SIDE GLANCES By George Clark

the fich Jo

"I told the talpan we named the kid after him and he didn't seem to like it very much."

Officers want a pension. This would add less than 1 per cent. to the running costs of a tramp. steamer, and less than 5 per cent. to the running costs of a liner.:

**

EVERY statement I have made in this article is from an official document of one or other. of the shipping bodies.

It is true that there are two. big shipping companies who pay more than agreed rates; who pension their officers; who grant annual leave, and who fully re turn with the utmost considera- tion the loyalty of their staff.

They are the leaders in a new movement among shipowners to improve wages and introduca. more liberal manning pro- visions.

The crusade to stamp out the bad owner, will.continue.