LORD JELLICOE IN THE LORDS.

Lake Wakatip Mail, Issue 4011, 4 August 1931, Page 6

LORD JELLICOE IN THE LORDS.

turns the debate. AGAINST INOHCAPE’S CONSERVATISM. LONDON, June 19. Lord Jellioo-. intervened yesterday with striking effect in the debate on the new helm orders. Lord Inchcape, the shipping magnate, head of the P. and O. ami allied companies, made himself the spokesman of those who wanted to reject the clauses in the Government’s Merchant Shipping Bill which propose to reverse the helm orders on British ships and appeared to be carrying the House of Lords with him.

~ Incheape said that the present British helm orders had been tiie rule for many years and our captains and officers had been brought up on them. If the rule was altered accidents would happen and officers who joined hereafter would know one rule while those at present serving would have to forget what they had learned. It was not unreasonable to ask that, so far as British ships were concerned, the old helm orders should he allowed to stand. A petition had been signed by 8590 captains, officers, and pilots in the merchant service against the proposed change. In the course of his own business he was constantly coming into touch with his captains and officers, and lie had not heard one of them express himself in favour of a chang: in helm orders. There had been no real ca! 1 for the change, except trom one 01 two small foreign shipping c ountries Lord Ponsonby said the refusal of this country to all e > her helm orders would ho an announcement to the world that Great Britain was not ready to go into an international convention for the safety of life at sea. Onr seamen were famous all over the world for their handiness and their adaptability Lord Atkin supported Lord Inchcape’s contention. “It is all very well,” he said,, for Lord Ponsonby to talk as he does, but he is not going to spend his life on board, ship during this traditional period.”

Lord Jellicoe, however, made out a strong case for tiie new departure. lie said that when in command of a ship he had on more than one occasion seen a helm put the wrong way under the present system. He felt convinced that when the proposed new system had been in use a short time it would be asked why on earth we had not adopted it years ago. The present system was obviously quite the wrong method of giving orders. Its dangers so impressed him that, when in the Navy they took to conning their ships from the top of the standard compass platform out of sight of the wheel, lie insisted on liaving a hole cut in the platform so that the officer giving the order to the helmsman could see that he was putting the holm the way it was wanted. When he was responsible for the fitting up of all ships under coi.tiact he insisted on that hole being cut. It was only a question-, when the change was made.' of similar precautions being taken; if the officer saw that the helm was being put the way lie meant it to he put, he would he making certain that no accidents would occur. All an officer had to do. when he wanted the ships head to go to the right, was to say “Right” or ‘‘Starboard.” Signals Right In a Week.

If the officers did not get into the new system in a week, continued Lord Jellicoe, he would ve.y much surprised. The office)s of the Mercantile Marine weio second to none in the world, and ii oilier nations could adopt tin's Giange withoutdanger, most certainly our officers could do the same. (Hear, hear.) Anybody who bad bad experience of what these officers did in tiie late War in the convoy system, in keeping close station at night without lights, would agree that it was absurd to imagine that they could not adopt such a change without epc'angering life and limb He, therefore, st-ongly urged their lordships to support the clause. (Hear, hear). Lord Reading followed Lord Jellicoe in an appeal not to delete the cause and Lord Inchcape did not press the amendment .

The ratification of the Convention is therefore assured.