The proceedings at the' League of Nations this week in connexion with international disarmament brought into prominence one department of affairs in China which does not as a rule receive a great deal of attention, namely the Navy. Mr. Chu Chao-hsin, the Chinese representative, _emphasized the need of a larger Navy than China at present possesses in order ta protect her lengthy coast line, and to such a proposition there will be no particular objection. Unhappily as we know, with the splitting up of the country, the Navy has not been available for this duty, and at least one section of it has been called upon to take an active part in hostility ies arising out of political disputes. Another section is shortly to be engaged upon a very useful piece of work, the survey of the Yangtze. Apparently not a great proportion of the fleet can, therefore, be considered available for protecting the coast, and until recently, at any rate; it was unlikely to undertake any such duties, as wages were so very badly in arrear. Yet there is ample work for the Navy on. the lines laid down by Mr. Chu, and apparently there will continue to be for many a day to come Piracies are of daily occurrence along the coast, the majority of them in this region on a small scale, but farther south they are ever and anon reported as serious affairs involving coasting steamers. There is obviously need for an, efficient Navy here, probablys as Mr. Chu suggests a larger one that—China at present possesses, but the. pity is that with the ships at present available a start is not made with the work just now.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.