MODERN SLAVERS

Greymouth Evening Star, 20 June 1939, Page 9

MODERN SLAVERS

NAVY SET A HARD TASK Slave trading still exists in the Red Sea area, Rear-Admiral W. N. Custance, commander of the R.A.N., told the Sydney Arts Club recently, according to the ‘Daily News.’ Although the British Navy knew of the existence of the slave traffic, it found it particularly hard to combat it, he said.

“We are doing our best to stamp it out, but certain Powers which are interested in gun-running, slave trading, and the like do not give us much assistance,” said the admiral. “A British gunboat may approach a vessel which is known to be a slave trader, but before a raiding party can get aboard her some foreign flag is run up to the masthead and the British authorities are powerless to act. “The only hope we have got against them is to creep up in the dead of night, when everyone is half-asleep, and make a surprise raid,” he added. The settling of disputes between local sheiks was an important part of the work of a British gunboat in the Persian Gulf region. “There is generally a war after one sheik has stolen the wife of his neighbour. and the whole country is in a turmoil for a few days until the British gunboat arrives and straightens things out.” Inhabitants of that part of the world gauged a naval vessel’s strength on the number of funnels it had. British prsetige fell considerably when the Russians sent a three-funnel-led boat into the region, but was later restored when a four-funnelled British vessel appeared. “Russia won the day, however, when she sent a five-funnelled ship to the area,” he added. i “The British could not find anything to beat that ship, which earned the name of ‘Wild Woodbine’ because the sailors used to buy five Woodbine cigarettes for a penny.” . The Navy had church service on six days a week, said Rear-Admiral Cust. ance.

It rested from prayer on Saturday, only to clean the ships, because it recognised that cleanliness was next to Godliness.