Where the Fault Lies To the Editor of the "Norru-Cima Dany News"
'Si—Replying to the letter signed Barriin Seaman in your issue of to-ay, the reason that British ofoers fare' not available for service 'British ships is that adequate and proper provision is not made to train young men to become officers in the Merchant services, as 90 per cent, of British merchant' ships are monned by cheap. allen labour, mostly Lascars, "Arabs and Chinese. This being the case, there is no inducement for youn men to take to the sea. for a livelihood, The conditions under which. apprentices are compelled to work in British ships, does not interest healthy Shanghai, Dee, 5, Insufficient Men the Editor of the "Nowrit-Cunea Doney News"
'Sm—Reterring to the letter by Harris SeaMAN In your issue of, December 8, 1 beg to request a few ines in reply, Tu the rst place, I feel that Barras: Seaneax does great injustice to British ship-owners, authorities and insurance companies' in assuming that they would allow non-British officers to be sized on Articles in British ships if British officers were available, and secondly to the abill= tet of non-British ernieers serving a British ships, Undoubtedly, many _non-British officers are serving in British ships today for the reason that there are no British emeers available, Many Suitable British Merchant Servien amicers are today serving in all branches of the Navy, and, in conse. quence, there is a shorlase' of officers for_the Merchant Service, The Merchant Service must carry on, and for lack of British officers, thon-Britons are engaged. If Harris SraMAN thinks that British shi owners and authorities would allow Surpiclous, Inferior non-British emeers signed on in British ships, think that he not only does them' an_injustice, but also doubts their intel~ Tigenes. Who would, particularly wartime, send out their shine in the hands of suspicious and/or incompetent officers? Certainly, the character and competence of non= British emeers in Beilish ships will have been gecertained by the owners and authorities, Barrisit SeAMax states that, when the captain and chief engineer: have "their" watches. below. -manv things could happen when there are non-British officers on waich—bu It British officers took their places, Ht might mean saving many "ships. with valuable cargoes and lives, Do you, Baris SraMax, have so little confidence in foreign officers? Don't you think there are other peaole but British who could cone with whatever situation 9 watch= keeping emeer might find himself In? For your information there are neural nations with canally Yang seafaring traditions and whose ship-z-—in_ comparing pontla'ions—by far' exceeds. the British and also of primary import once. That these neutral nations should not be able to produce re-Sonnsible watehkreping oflcers British ships, "Tike they do in their own "well-run ships. must doubted, As to loyalty. every officer, not for the sake of hie own ship: coren and shipmates, irrespective of rationality. will have to be loyal to his own ship to save his own life,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.