Interesting Talk Given by Mr. G. E. Mitchel!
Over Radio Station XCDN; Dangers Described Shanghai, Sept. 7.
XPLENDID work of the British Mercantile Marine in the present war was described by Mr, G. E. Mitchell in his talk given over the Radio Station XCDN at 9 p.m. yesterday.
Many of the ships, taken over by the Government and converted into auxiliary cruisers and other auxiliary vessels, are often manned by their peace time civilian crews, and the courage shown by the seamen within danger_arca when they know that every moment of the day and night sudden death lurks just round the corner, has been remarkable, The morale of the men of the British Mercantile Navy, now in the employ of the British Government, was also praised by the speaker, who said that although the strain of constant danger and vigilance leaves its mark on these men, their appearance and conversation convey no hint that there is a war on at all. approached on the subject, however, there is hardly a man on board who will not offer to prove, in eight different ways, that Great Britain cannot win this war within a fortnight.
The service of Chinese sailors and firemen, who man many British ships, was also praised by Mr. Mitchell, who added that their efficiency was very high.
In time of war all the units of this Following is the complete text of Mr, Mitchell's talk: vast fleet are immediately placed under the direct control of His Ma-Thave been asked o speak tonight Jesty's Government, and at the pre~ about that great sea service which sent time this control is exercised by receives but Tittle publicity and is the Ministry of Shipping. The tasks clothed with but litHe glamour, but of those who have to direct the acwhich Is probably the most tivities of these ships are, first, to see all cur Empire's that enough ships" are available to refer to Britat carry the supplies of food and of 'Though it is not a Nghting service it materials' needed for feeding the is continuously in action while war Jasts, and the men who serve in its people and Aghting, the "war, and. Second, to ensure that our export ships run, in many ways, as great trade, which enables us to buy the risks as do these who serve in its sinews of war from foreign countries, principal fighting services, propose to try to give you some Impressions of the life and work of space. 4 oes not suffer from lack of ship's
The change from private contre this merchant navy at the present and direction, to Government control ume, but In the first place let and direction, lange at what has happened to those shipowner a elements of our Merchant Service of hire for his ships accord-which the war has called to other ing to their individual size and char-pursuits, In the first place there are those oticers and. men who, when acteristic, out of which the shipowner pays certain expenses, such as war broke out, were already members the pay of the crews and the cost fof the Toyal Naval Reserve: most of of Keeping the ships in. seaworthy these are now serving in the Navy condition, while the Government re-proper in regular fighting ships. ceives all earnings in Next, there are the ships which have passage money and keeps any profit, been' taken over by the Government and converted into auxiliary cruisers, or bears any loss which arises' alter the cost of fuel and cther supplies and other auxiliary war vessels, 4g paid: in brief the Government takes Manned by Old Crews over alt ships on a time-charter basis, The remuneration or charter hire Those are as often as not manned ald to the shipowner is not large, mostly by their old peace time eivitian 50 the effect of this form of control eres, though under a Naval captain, that there Is no profiteering and, fand they do invaluable work. 1 therefore, no discrimination in the Heve that in the last war the whole treatment of those shipowners whose of the contraband control between ships are taken for direct Naval ser-Scotland and Tecland was handed view and those' whose ships are' over to auxiliary cruisers of this kind.
Towed to remain on. their ordinary While war is on, we hear little oF trades. This control also enables the nothing of these ships but from time Government to keep rales of freight {fo time one of them leaps into the at moderate levels and thus ensure limelight, ana I need not remind any that goods going on to the markets of my Listeners to-night of the name of the Empire reach the public at a ff one them, known to many of us—the Rawalpindi, and of the gallant Feasonable cost. They also can help the export trade in its competition in Aght which marked her end, These neutral markets, by seeing that ships and the civilian sailors in them does "not suffer from exorbitant well know that if they fall in with freight rates fan enemy surface raider, and if that alder happens to be real war-Supplies Brought ship the chances against their escap-In some cases the Government fixes Sng are one in a million, "Their con the ports of call and lays down the struction is such that they cannot carry the gun power with which to commodities which the ships shall carry, but in most cases trading fight effectively against a ship of war, raules for the ships are left to the nor the armour to give them any real discretion of the shipowners, the protection, nor have they the speed to run, even if they wished to do 50, Government merely directing which commodities are essential and what And_yet the men in these armed quantities of these are to be carried auxiliaries are usually mostly volun to England or to the Empire or to tears who prefer to stay in their allied countries and other. spheres in ships rather than take more comfort which Great Britain is interested. able and possibly safer jobs elsewhere.
The complexity of this organiza-Next, there are the ships requisition will be realised when it is contioned by the Government to work sidered how much of our supplies we directly with the fighting services draw from the ends of the world, to reap ships and supply ships. Their which we must send our ships' to duly is to carry the armies which fetch them. From the Argentine go to fight on foreign soil and to keep comes beef and wheat; from Aus them supplied with food, ammunition tralia the same products and and equipment. from New Zealand butter, mutton and "The ships and men engaged on all wool; from Chile nitrates; from the the duties to which T have referred United States of America' the arma-are temporarily withdrawn from sie ments of which we hear so much and Merchant Navy and we must ceive for which we are so. grateful; from the recording of their exploits till Canada more foodstuffs and arma the ban of silence on the operations ments: from the Sudan and the fof the Mghting forces can be. raised United States cotton; from the Straits Tonight 1 propose to deal with that and "Netherlands East Indies tin, part of the Merchant Navy which is rubber and copra; from China eggs, SIL carrying on its ordinary business, silky tungsten and hides, and from Japan canned salmon, silk and ply Organization of Merchant Marine wood.
First, let us glance at the organiza I have said enough to show that tion of the British Merchant Marine. these ships go about the world, the product of private enter-carrying that which we have to sell, prise and private capital; its main fand bringing back to England those object in times" of peace is to carry things which England needs, they are cargo and "passengers from and to really units in and symbols of the wherever they cane carried at a Vast and intricate organization of Proll. the course of the centuries, {his enterprise has succeeded war. building up the largest "Mercantile Let us now consider the ship itself Marine in the world and it carries and those aboard her. If she is on its share of cargo and passengers not only te and from the United Kingdom and the countries of the British Em= pire, but also. on practically all trade routes of the world from which itis not excluded for political reasons ocean-going vessel she does not look the same ship now that we knew in peace lime. Her gaily painted funnel has become dull black or grey, her name has disappeared, she fies no House flog or ensign at sex. She hoe
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.