English Ships Minus English Sailors.

Oamaru Mail, Volume XXXV, Issue 10017, 7 December 1908, Page 4

English Ships Minus English Sailors.

The idea of English Dreadnoughts and Invincibles being multiplied indetmiteiy is laughed at by the Koehiische Zeitung, whichTsta'.es that England really has not sufficient nautical population to man them. From time immemorial the Royal Navy has been, recruited from the mercantile marine, and Nelson's press-gangs netted their ablest seamen, from the crews of Liverpool and Bristol tradeis. It- is therefore- causing some anxiety in the British home- and colonial press to see so many foreigners engaged in British trading-ves-sels. " Strange to say. it is by Australia and NTew Zealand that the demand tor wliite men in. white men's ships is most urgently made. England has hitherto appeared " indifferent "to facts which even Germany notices. A writer in the London Timts remarks on this subject: "'ln Australasia the- feeling engendered by the English attitude on these subjects is somewhat remarkable. There is a growing fear, which I have encountered repeatedly, that Englishmen are losing touch with that greatest of all imperii arcana, the virtue of doing things for themselves. This •virtue of doing things for themselves,' instead of trusting to foreigners of color, is, the writer observes, 'a vital principle of imperial power." The British mercantile marine, as the nnrsery of the navy, is declared to be degenerating into the hands of lascars and coolies and the scum of Oriental seaports. Thus the Board of Trade report published last year, giving the number, rating, and nationalities ff all seamen employed in the English merchant service upon A<pril 4th, 1906, contains the following Temarks: 'The increase in the number of seamen on trad-ing-vessels consists, mainly of lascars and foreign seamen. Durinjr the fifteen years from" 1891 to 1906 _the number of lascars has increased by 1f,105 and foreign seamen by 11,022." In the same period British seamen . . . have also increased, . .* . but only by 5101.' The ratio between lascars and British seamen employed on British ships shows how the native of the British Isles is being gradually supplanted by foreign crews on the decks of the mercantile marine. In 1891 the trad-ing-vessels of England were manned by 65 per cent. British sailors and 35 per cent, lascars. In 1906 the ratio was almost reversed, for the crews of British tradingvessels were formed of 42 per cent, British men and 58 per cent, lascars."