PIRACY TO-DAY

Evening Star, Issue 20672, 20 December 1930, Page 4

PIRACY TO-DAY

TRICKS OF CHINESE WATERS HUMOURS AND TRAGEDIES OF TRAVEL [Written by Araohne, for the ‘Evening Star.’] Until recently British ships travelling between Singapore and Hongkong were supplied by His Majesty’s Government with a piracy guard, usually' an officer and a dozen men, in addition to the Sikhs who are provided regularly by the shipping company'. More recently Britain lias decided not to supply' this military guard, and the ships have had to employ' their own, and have taken on “White” Russians, of whom there are always many offering for employment after their great exodus from Russia across Siberia at the time of the revolution. In these days piracy' seems a subject relegated to past centuries, or to the vivid and enticing tales read by schoolboys. But on the coast of China and upon its tremendous waterways it is a reality of very great danger both to lives and cargoes. Certainly the days of black ships flying the sign of the skull and crossbones, which approach and overmaster a vessel by force and then condemn its crew to “walk the plank,” are no longer here, nor, of course, would such methods bo successful. Nowadays almost invariably the pirate gang ship as passengers, and at the arranged time appear fully armed and ta T -i possession of the ship, either forcing the captain to navigate it to their "base, or abandoning it in lifeboats with the booty’, and, more important, with some unfortunate passengers (usually the wealthiest) whom they have decided to hold to ransom. The success of such schemes is aided by the nature of the traffic in this part of the world, which consists of great numbers of Chinese travelling as deck and steerage passengers in the cheapest and moat economical way. These are usually the coolie class who travel to India, Malay', and the East Indies work for a certain time, whence they return to China with their savings (not infrequently gambling them all away and committing suicide before arrival). Thus on an- ordinary ship, carrying perhaps forty first and second class passengers, mainly Europeans, there may he as many as two to four thousand deck passengers. It’is difficult to imagine where they are all stowed, but certainly the lower decks are just covered with humanitv, which goes about its daily round of bathing, eating, and sleeuing unabashed by publicity. Young children and naked babies swarm round the prostrate figures of sleeping parents. The old men play majong on the hatches and fan-tan in the corners. Meal time wafts a potent odour to the upper deck of steaming rice, and fish, garlic, pork, and'rank vegetables, and the • whole rcene becomes animated to the tune of chop-sticks clicking against rice "howls. Before any of these passengers are allowed on board their nersons and pos-’ sessions are thoroughly searched for arms. It is a wearv business with over 9.000 embarking. Most of the travellers take this philosophically, hut others, less experienced, vent their wrath noon the unfortunate ouartermaster orrfficinl who so ruthlessly turns out their boxes and baskets nnon the wharf. Despite this and a thorough search, of the shin before sailing, sometimes the arms and ammunition are' successfnßv coneealed on hoard. Intho: ensuing da vs tVe pirates mix with the passengers, and. of course, have every opportunity of gauging which of them are worth kidnapping and what is worth looting. Then, when the convenient time and situation arrive, the coup is made, officers overpowered, and the booty seized. The piracy of the Hai Ching will be remembered, when two British officers were killed and several seamen wounded; but on this occasion the situation-was saved-by the gallant defence of the bridge by Sikh guards and the officers, and by the bravery of the wireless officer, who was able to call out destroyers from Hong-r , kong to the rescue. In this case many arrests on board were made, and later, at the trial, those proved to be implicated in tne piracy were sentenced to death or imprisonment. It is not usual, however, that stieh a large steamer is attempted, and it was found that the pirates had believed this ship to be carrying bullion—a false rumour, but showing that they are somehow in touch' with inside information from the shipping office. In one case a successful piracy was led by a young Chinese woman, who escaped with the loot, her confreres, and some hostages in a ship’s lifeboat for Bias Bay, This spot is a haunt of China’s outlaws. Canton is officially supposed to have jurisdiction over it

and to keep troops in the, vicinity; hut Bias Bay is far enough from Canton not to trouble her - unduly, and, if troops are needed elsewhere, then Bias Bay must bo left to the mercies of banditry and piracy. It is an isolated Spot, well'suited to such nefarious schemes, with plenty of good harbourage and lonely, rugged liills where the plants of booty . can bo hidden. However, _ its proximity to Hongkong is not in its favour for this purpose, . and the latest information that British submarines will be used to help China clean up this spot is welcome news to all interested m the safety of the high. seas. The foregoing are instances of piracy on the big scale, -but it is practised "along similar lines down to the smallest waterway iu China. On all the river services there are surprise, attacks and “hold-ups,” especially when there'is any degree of political unrest oi’ when troops are withdrawn from suspicious , areas. , To Westerners some of these incidents are not without humour* There Was the incident of the kidnapping of several wealthy students who attend Lilignan University (formerly known as Canton Christian College). This university is situ-' ated a few miles down the river from Canton City, and a ferry service conveys the students and residents to and from the university through the busy waterway, where all manner of vessels, modern commercial or the oldfashioned junks ’and sampans, are continually plying. On this occasion a few men entered the ferry as passengers along with a crowd of students.. When the ferry was in niidstream the steersman found a revolver at his head, and was ordered to take the boat through the city, to a place further up the river. . At the same time the students were 'held up and silence enforced whilst the ship threaded its way, through the river traffic, including foreign and Chinese gunboats, and in full sigjit of the bund with its police and busy throngs. When the pirates’ destination was reached the students were robbed, and some carried off and held to ransmu. Daring acts like these are continually taking place, and it is no wonder that the traveller oil China’s waterways does not care to carry valuable freight nor display any sign of wealth about his person. Last year when’the “Ironsides” were approaching close to Canton, and everything was thrown into confusion, some of the passage , boats, mostly junkg drawn by steam tugs, actually employed on board a man of histrionic ability to keen the passengers’ minds off the risks of travel by amusing them with eloquent and soothing discourse~a truly Chinese touch! It is strange to see the larger junks all armed with muzzle-loading cannon of an ancient order. Even the fishing fleets which ply oil the outskirts • of Hongkong Harbour bristle with short rusty, black cannon. It call scarcely be imagined that they are ol any value, but in moments of stress they are fired, not with a definite hope of hitting anyone, but to produce A frightening effect. ‘‘Changing China,” wo say; but how deep is the change? Conservatism is_ an abiding characteristic of the Chinese,, and these junks are an emblem of it. Built with low. blunt bows and, high, square, sterns they ride the seas aiid run before-the typhoons almost as if they, were living creatures. The seamanship is, of the old order that - knows not chart nor compass but chu read, the heavens, navigating the. sens even as far as the coasts of Africa. Vasco da Gama would meet the same type of craft in his great jourheyiugs-round- Asia in th'ei’ fifteenth' edntury. But to return to the question of piracy.. ,It is: certainly one of the problems which China must ~face as’ she goes about, the task of “setting her house in order.’.’ It can only he suppressed by . rigorous co-operation of forces hn land . and sea. In the intervals oh peace .and good government in China, the corresponding!’reduction: in lawlessness is amazing,; so that the real hope of., suppression lies in the stable government of;the country, with the helpful co-operation-of nations lilfe Britain, who are interested in : peace- ' ful trade and the safety of the seas.'