To the Editor of the "Nomru-Curva Dany News"
Sm—Having read in the various Sharghal_ morning papers, accounts of the "Tungchow" piracy and the comments thereon, likewise a number of letters from your readers which you have printed and your leading article on the same, that T venture to ask you to give me the courtesy of your columns to add my opinions to those which you have 's" kindly published, regarding evil which has lasted too long.
Having been the victim of the first: najor piracy in 1921, while I was Master of the EMS. Kwang-lee, T think it about time that the ublic attention was drawn to the shocking ignorance of our Home authorities and particularly the London papers.
We have had noted journalists from nearly every country in our midst to report on conditions China, with, T suppose the views of enlightening their readers on things Chinese, you can by reading the Home papers get an intelligent view of banditry, finance, business, " the good and the bad, But nowhere can you obtain an intelligent knowledge of this systematic plundering of British ships, to say nothing about other nationalities, who have not suffered to the same extent, and it a national disgrace and' an at-front to the honour and prestige of the Empire, if there is such a thing left, Shipping companies and the various Chambers of Commerce in China cannot be held blameless for allowing their Governments to act in the feeble and puerile way combating this challenge to law and order. "Nevertheless, the stupid ignorance of the London papers does not deter them from voicing demands and measures to be taken in suppressing this evil which are impracticable. 'They evidently look upon this piracy business from the story book' point of view, in liew of better knowledge, visualizing strongholds in Bias Bay. Pirates of the old world type defying law and order behind strong ramparts, sally-Ing "ut to take toll from te slaps whenever opportunity occurs: 'This. view 1s not held by them alone, it shared by quite a number of people who should know better, nor can you wonder at it, considering that the British Navy' (unwillingly no doubt) have fostered this idea by Their futile expedition to Blas Bay to exterminate their nests. No one knew better than the Navy how sea was fo expect them to 00, complish anything. oF to destroy what did not exist: but Hongkong and I suppose Whitehall acted on the principle that doing something was better than doing nothing, noring the possibilities of ridicut Bias Bay, Talsami Inlet and that neighbourhood are only the jumping off ground for these bold bad men, and to say that the villagers and fishermen are in league with them, to belittle the intelligence of these ruffians, they are far too cute to risk detection by having their Identity known to all and sundry.
Tam convinced that in every cas of piracy, there has been no colin. sion between the local. junks oF sampans for landing the loot. They have depended on the ship's boats, or, as in my case taking the chance of' picking up fishermen at sea, and towing them until they are needed. The villagers that suffered at Fan-lo-Kong (Bias Bay) by having their mat sheds burt by the expedition, were in my opinion entirely innocent If all the navies of the World were to converge on the coast of China with the object of putting an end to ships being pirated, it would be futile, it is not a case for Navies, their presence only endangers the lives "and property. 'The—gangs know only too well, that their lives are forfeited, and it is only human nature for' them to act on the principle of being hung for 2 sheep us a lamb and a pirated ship, encountering a man.o-war at sea, would " probably seal the fate of those whom they were trying to save.
Hong Governments, and. par~ Tt is a ease for the Chinese and
ticularly the shipping companies who have been criminally quiescent. T should think that some of our authorities should have as much brains as the swashbuckling fraternity who apparently hold us in contempt. Two of the pirates of the Kwanglee confessed to being ex-firemen of a {Glen boat, and knew London, Liverpool and Cardiff dock nelghbour-/hood, several were ex-Kwangiung Army men, the rest fisher and junk men; but they knew enough to take control of the enzineroom. No measures that the Hongkong Govern ment could have taken at the time would have been the slightest use in rounding up the gang. as they had all dispersed at Taisami. going their several ways. to meet again in the sweet bye and bye.
T slated at the time to the tate Commander C. W. Beckwith, M. that It was so ridiculously easy td'
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.