LACK OF SEAMEN

Evening Post, Issue 15, 17 July 1936, Page 10

LACK OF SEAMEN

CffECK TO NAVAL EXPANSION

A serious situation threatens to arise in t|e coming expansion of the Fleet. Already the service is deficient in man power, and the naval measures necessitated. by the Italo-Abyssinian war strained its manning resources to the utmost,', writes Hector Bywater in the "Daily Telegraph."

I /understand that the existing personnel would not suffice to place even the? present reduced Navy on a war footing^

Recourse must therefore be had to the^merchant service, but here again, according to my information, there is hardly any reserve available.

Statistics of unemployment among seafarers are most misleading. They include- a very high percentage of men who; are in no sense trained seamen. Actually, I learn, only a few thousand genuine seamen are now unemployed. Should.trade conditions justify any substantial increase in the number of British ships at sea these men would be quickly absorbed.

As a reservoir of man-power for the Navy the merchant service is, therefore, quite inadequate. A well-known shipl ping authority who has thoroughly investigated the situation declares that, in the event of war the country would have to choose between an undermanned Navy and a shortage of food ships. The statistics I have seen apparently confirm this forecast.

Various remedies are being considered by ,the competent authorities. On thejAdmiralty side it is difficult to see how a large increase in the personnel can be. further delayed. It may even be.necessary to introduce a special system of short service—distinct from the existing method of special short-service enlistment for five years.

On the mercantile side it is pointed out by ship owners' that little can be done to increase the total of trained seamen until our merchant fleet is enlarged, and that is conditional on imjwved trade.