Page:The Blight of Insubordination.djvu/102

94 fewer than 123,000 men—a formidable total. The Admiralty was NOW engaged i in furnishing a reserve which would be ample not only in regard to one branch, but all branches of the service. The question of numbers was important, but still more important was the preservation of that spirit which had always animated the officers and men who served the King upon the sea. Changes there must be, but the Admiralty recognised that any change which did not acknowledge the necessity of maintaining in its full vigour the spirit and traditions of the Navy would be a change for the worse. In eighteen short months the personnel of the Royal Navy had increased by four thousand men. This serves to illustrate aptly the truth of Lord Dudley's remark that the seagoing tendency of the nation is as great as ever.

Not only 36,000 or 37,000, but nearer 100,000 Lascars at the present time find means of existence by working as seamen, firemen, and domestics in the British merchant vessel. The actual number of foreigners as well who exploit the British ship will probably never be accurately known, but 36,000 or 37,000 will not represent them all, inasmuch as many are always waiting the chance to ship, in crowds, at most of the home ports.

Why should Sir Thomas Sutherland be able to state with truth that without Lascars it would be impossible to maintain the P. & O. services with anything like their usual regularity and precision, when our country, teeming as it is usually with unemployed and suitable men and boys, could easily and readily supply all that is necessary if they were attracted to it by ways or means different from the past, and made possible by alterations of, or even a rigid or sensible enforcement of, the farcical laws and regulations that now obtain?

The conditions of sea life have changed entirely from when the works were outside and above the vessel, and men of special training, skill and courage were absolutely necessary to work her properly and profitably. Changes there must be in the merchant ships as well as in those of the Royal Navy, and unless that change 1s made to give to the British shipmaster the moral and material support so necessary in dealing with large numbers of men, as the present conditions require, then there is not much hope that the native born seaman will displace the Lascar so easily as we might well wish, for the discipline of the Lascar-manned steamer is an object lesson our legislators, magistrates, and others who are responsible for administering the law for maintaining discipline in the merchant vessel might do well to give their attention to, and to study the question closely for the benefit of our countrymen.