OFFICIAL INTERFERENCE.

Colonist, Volume LVI, Issue 13410, 6 March 1914, Page 7

OFFICIAL INTERFERENCE.

A strange story of official interference is told by the secretary of the Imperial Merchant Service Guild, a body which watches over the interests of officers of the Bntish mercantile marine in all parts of the globe. Some time ago the steamer Augustine, plunging i through a raging so a, sighted a Greek steamer on the point of foundering. The. litpless Greek sailors were drown■ing by the time the Augustine got near enough to.effect a rescue, and-two' or throe of the British officers plunged into the raging waves at once and succeeded in avingmostof the men. "So impressed were the Greek Ministers," writes Mr, Moore, "that they ii-formed the Imperial Merchant Service Guild that they had decided to confer upon Captain Forbes and officers of the Augustine the decoration of the Order of tho Redeemer of Greece. . In duo time, i tho orders not being forthcoming, the Guild made oificial inquiries of the British Government. It was then elicited that, in deference to tho desire of the Board of Trade and Foreign Office, who had officially suggested in so many words that they did not approve of such distinguished awards being granted in such cases, tho Greek Government had modified their decision, and instead of the order were substituting silver medals." The Guild advised the officers to refuse to accept the medals and there tho matter rests.