To the Editor of the "Nowrn-Cuixa Dat News."
Sim—Under the above caption, "Yankee Abroad" makes several statements, mainly directed againat the British, which should not be allowed to pass without question.
He remarks in connexion with one non-Briish fleet that "four of these steamers are beyond comparison the—fines fest and most, comfortable steamers of the 4148 ft, class on the Upper Yangtze. They may be the most comfortable says they are the "safest makes a statement which I think he would find difficult to prove. The! steamers he mentions carry only one foreigner, the captain. Bhe British steamers of similar type) carry a captain, Ist. and 2nd officers and a chief engineer, all_"f whom are fully certificated. The} Yecent events at Kueichow, when the Captain was taken ashore by the military, leaving passengers alone and helpless on the ship, must surely point the moral here. 'Again, every: British master has been on the run for several years, and has been specially trained at considerable expense to the compai ies concerned, all of them having made several' junk trips at low water level, and traveled on, afoamers at higher levels, thereby gaining a first-hand knowledge -of the iver at all seasons, eufficient toyonable them to the charge should anything happen to the pilots. Take the other side. The newest master Ri mentions made, one trip to Kwel-chow." -On his return he was appointed to the command of a vessel jand left next day on what is probably the most dangerous rip in the world -without the slightest Knowledge of what awaited him [beyond Kweichow.. Does this sort lof thing make for safety? Your jeorrespondent also mentions Ameri-ships running when the water below zero. Quite true: they [did s0, -but I should not quote this jas an argument for "safety." Is. [he not aware that the British masters refused to risk running their ships when the water mark reached Jone foot, and that the River Inspector tried to prevent ships of }148 ft, running when the river fell [below this level, but unfortunately, had not sufficient powers to compel them to stop? Is he also not aware that the American masters are lower paid than the British, get no married allowance, no safe navigation bonus, have no home leave or pension scheme, and yet they risk their ships against the. River officer's advice? Perhaps "Yankee Abroad" tan explain why they do this; I cannot.
His comment about the British naval officer's remarks about Americans seems to me to be singularly out of place. I have had several Americans say exactly the same thing to me about the British, but Thad sufficient sense of proportion to realize that a few nincompoops
nation, not speak for the American He then goes on to hint at opium being carried under the British flag and ends up with a reference to some British ship, popularly known, according to him, as the "Opium Express." Tt is a curious thing that no' ady up here has ever hourd of shis famous craft. Perhaps he will be a little more explicit. Per-sonnily, I feel sure that, had there been any ship with such a repute ation, the Lritish Consul would soon have had the master shifted. THs. opiam is smuggled in ships un ior all flags is unfortunately only too true, but there is a very, great difference between smuggling and penly conniving at the traffic.
hang Missionary" in an earlier issue shates the case boldly and refers to ships turning round, anchoring and unloading the stuff. No Tegal proof can be given in support jof these assertions, but it is a matter of common knowledge, on the Tehang Bund. Ak the same time. 1 would point out, that I have only heard of one British ship being acjeused of turning round and unloading opium, but I wouldn't care to say how often I have heard the ships under other flags blamed for this practice; whether they are really worse or better than the British is impossible of proof.
It may interest "Yankee Abroad" learn that Bishop Grosse of the American Church travelled. up. to Chungking in a British steamer in the latter: part of last year. T am reliably informed that he told two of the officers of this steamer that travelled by her because he had been told in Tehang that she was the only clean' ship running on the river."
Thanking you for space, Tam, ete., Lao VaNG.
Tehang, Api
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.