§ 58. Captain GARRO-JONESasked the President of the Board of Trade if he will communicate to the House the result of his inquiries into the events on board and the wireless messages issued from the liner "Jervis Bay"?
§ Sir P. CUNLIFFE-LISTERI will have printed in the OFFICIAL REPORT copies of the telegrams received from Colombo. They add nothing material to the information which has already appeared in the Press. The full depositions taken by the principal collector of Customs are being sent to this country by mail.
§ Captain GARRO-JONESHas the right hon. Gentleman any administrative jurisdiction over an Australian ship, and, if so, is he going to hold an official Board of Trade inquiry into these events?
§ Sir P. CUNLIFFE-LISTERThis is a ship on the British register. Obviously, the jurisdiction in regard to holding an inquiry is limited to cases in which there has been a mutiny—that was not the case here—or where the loss of the ship is due to bad seamanship, which is not the case here. That, I think, is the position under the Merchant Shipping Act. The jurisdiction in this case is limited to certain specific happenings, and, obviously, it would be impossible to decide whether there was a prima facie case for an inquiry until the full depositions have been received.
§ Mr. HARRISHas the right hon. Gentleman seen further statements in the Press that since the ship left Colombo there have been difficulties between the fireman and the captain, and can he say whether there is wireless communication between the ship and Colombo at the present time?
§ Sir P. CUNLIFFE-LISTERI have had no information about any further trouble in the ship. There is wireless on the ship. Indeed, all the communications which have been received were by wireless.
§ Mr. ALBERYCan the right hon. Gentleman say whether the Government intend to take any steps to recover the cost of sending these vessels to the assistance of the "Jervis Bay"?
§ Sir P. CUNLIFFE-LISTERI cannot answer such a question without notice, and certainly not without knowing all the facts as disclosed by the depositions.
§ Mr. SHINWELLHas it not been definitely established that no member of the crew has been implicated in these alleged disturbances?
§ Sir P. CUNLIFFE-LISTERYes. As regards what happened before the ship arrived at Colombo, I think there is no doubt at all about it. The first telegram that I received was as follows:
Your telegram 22nd June trouble on the 'Jervis Bay' confined to the stowaways. No signs of the disaffection crew.
§ Mr. ERNEST BROWNArising out of the statement of the right hon. Gentleman that this ship is on the British Register, is it not a fact that she is on the way to this country to be handed over to British owners? Is she not on the Australian Register and on her way to be handed over?
§ Sir P. CUNLIFFE-LISTERI am pretty sure that the ship is on the British Register. The position is that the ship has already passed on to the British Register, and the actual physical transfer of the ship to her new owners will take place after arrival in this country.
§ Mr. LAWSONDoes the statement give us any help in regard to the action of the British Press in linking the crew of this ship with the charges against the stowaways?
§ Sir P. CUNLIFFE-LISTERNo. The hon. Member will see in the OFFICIAL REPORT to-morrow that the two telegrams which I have received from the Collector of Customs deal exclusively with the facts.
§ Miss WILKINSONWill any inquiry be made as to the mental state of a captain who makes such a trouble about eight men on his ship when he has 600 passengers aboard as well as the crew?
§ Sir P. CUNLIFFE-LISTERIt would be very much better if hon. Members would refrain from making reflections one way or the other until the full depositions are known.
§ Mr. W. THORNEDoes that apply to the London Press?
§ Sir P. CUNLIFFE-LISTERWhat I have said applies all round.
§ Following are the copies of the telegrams:
§ FIRST TELEGRAM.
§ Your telegram 22nd June trouble on the "Jervis Bay" confined to the stowaways no signs of the disaffection crew (fullstop) Boat left Fremantle 16th morning subsequently 8 stowaways discovered 4 English 2 Scotch one Irish one Cuban (fullstop) On the 18th they refused work were confined to quarters near the Isolation Hospital fullstop) Broke-out of quarters 18th night were handcuffed and placed in the cells fullstop) Several picked handcuffs broke open ceil doors (full stop) They were then confined Isolation Hospital and guarded by 4 Naval Ratings travelling as passengers also put on bread and water (fullstop) Morning of 20lh tried to fire quarters by setting mattresses alight and also to break out (fullstop) Similar attempts made 20th night fire put out on each occasion there-after stowaways under better control (full-stop) Naval Ratings with 10 ratings from R.F.A. "Slavol" boarded "Jervis Bay" 10 p.m. 23rd all quiet thereafter (full stop) Vessel arrived Colombo 8 a.m. 25th (full-stop) Proceedings against stowaways being taken locally will report result as soon as known (fullstop) Depositions following Mail (fullstop).
§ PRINCIPAL COLLECTOR OF CUSTOMS.
§ SECOND TELEGRAM.
§ My previous telegram "Jervis Bay" the 8 stowaways charged in Colombo Police Court 25th June with being stowaways, disobedience of orders, continuing to disobey orders attempting to commit mischief by fire and thereby to destroy and render vessel unsafe and commit mischief by breaking handcuffs etc. (fullstop) Magistrates held that charges attempt to destroy ship by fire was weak in proving intent (fullstop) All prisoners convicted on remainder charges and sentenced 5 months and a half rigorous (fullstop) Copy of proceedings as reported in newspaper following with depositions today's mail (fullstop) "Jervis Bay" left Colombo homeward 10.30 p.m. 25th June.
§ PRINCIPAL COLLECTOR OF CUSTOMS.