Nores on Pimacy axp 118 Pisvention, tHe Seton Naval Orricen Cuance or West Ttiver Parrots, Present System At present shipping is protected against piracy by the following.
(a) British gunboats, These are distributed about the rivers and the -Delta according to signs and information received. They are a mobile force which can be switched to any area required. Piracy suppression is by no means the only duty they have to perform. The Flag has to be shown and British interests in seen eral protected.
Armed Launches. At_present these are tied down to convoying the Hongkong-Kongmun river steamers. They run on a regular time-table and convoy ships through the most dangerous areas. In between their convoy work they patrol adjacent waterways. As long as they are with a convoy no piratical attack is likely to be made but Tam convinced that they can be far more efficiently employed with equally good protection to the river steamers and far better protection to the many small craft under the British flag if convoying is abolished and efficient patrolling instituted instead. At present every pirate and coal inhabitant knows exactly when the convoy and its guard launch Reproduce will pass and can make their plans ito pirate a tow before or afterwards in perfect safety.
(e) Armed Guards' on board ships. When piracy became serious jit was-obvious that some means of protection had to be provided and against internal piracy in particular The danger of any well-found ship the being successfully attacked from the out din my opinion is, very small indeed, provided she was in the hands of efficient officers. should be very sorry to try an attack on any of the river steamers cly means of Inunches or junks as long as the river steamer was under weigh and under control and the officers wide awake.
Tt therefore came to a question of convoys or armed guards. To convoy the regular river steamer traffic and also the sea-going ship traffic to Canton and Kongmun means a very large number of fast convoy craft continuously employed. Also as the speed of the convoy is that of its slowest ship a great deal of inconvenience is caused to the better found vessels. On the other hand to let all ships proceed independently and yet be safe means 4 large number of armed guards on each ship.
"At the time no convoying launches was found sary Naval Officers. and ratings to man any large number of launches. I therefore suggested that the choupest and safest method to adapt was to make the Canton and Kongmun River Steamers sail convoy, a large and efficient armed guard being placed in one steamer in each convoy. These were to be Jarmed with machine guns and be available not only to protect their own vessel but also to go to the help of any vessel belonging to the convoy if attacked.—Thit system was adopted and continues to the present time. It has certainly been effective in preventing _piratica: attacks but it has also assured a gond deal of discontent amongst ships' officers and owners who do not like the guards or the delay caused to the better found ships Grilles. The original system of grilles was greatly. extended. Here again whilst undoubtedly very Ainst internal piracy the use of grilles is inconveni-many of the officers' and owners' point of view. Also it has the serious defect that in case of a collision any hitch in opening the necessary grilles. may result enormous loss of life, although the obvious retort to that argument is that unless a river steamer can be beached at once or outside assistance is at hand, the lors of life ix bound to be great in any case. Still the mere fact that the passenfers would feel that they were [cooped up like rats would precipitate a panic and hinder the ship's staff.
(e) Police Inspection and search:
undoubtedly most valuable and should be continued. Practically all attempted piracies have been on outward bound ships from Hongkong and strict searching at that end is a necessity. The Customs at Kongmun are also very efficient in supervising their end.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.