LORD MUSKERRYrose to ask his Majesty's Government whether they could furnish any information in respect to the conditions or regulations which it was proposed to institute in connection with the new decoration for officers of the Royal Naval Reserve and of the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve, and a long service and good conduct medal for men of the Royal Naval Reserve and the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve. The noble Lord said: My Lords, before asking the Question which stands in my name, I would like to express the gratification it have me to learn that His Majesty, on the recommendation of the President of the Board of Trade, had approved of the grant of a clasp in connection with the medal which His Majesty awards for gallantry in saving life at sea, this clasp to be granted to any person to whom the medal has already been awarded in recognition of a similar service performed subsequently to that for which the medal was granted. I am sure that we all admire the heroic deeds which are so frequent in the mercantile marine of this country, and we must feel great satisfaction at the personal interest in this matter which is displayed by His Majesty.
I should like to bring to your Lordships' notice what happened not very long ago. The captain and officers of a British 245 steamer rendered very valuable service in rescuing a portion of the crew of a Greek ship. His Majesty the King of Greece, as a mark of his high admiration of the bravery and humanity displayed, signed a decree at Athens, conferring upon the captain and chief officer the gold decoration of the Order of the Redeemer, and on the second, third, and fourth officers the silver decoration of the same Order. The Board of Trade apparently took exception to this, and through the Foreign Office informed the Greek Government that such high awards were not usual, and might be a source of dissatisfaction in future cases where services of the kind were rendered. The Greek Government then substituted silver medals, which the captain and two of the officers have courteously but firmly declined to accept. My Lords, I think this was a most uncalled-for action on the part of the Board of Trade, besides being a most ungracious one towards the foreign potentate who had been pleased to recognise the bravery of the captain and his officers in such a gracious way. Has there ever been a case of any foreign Power interfering to prevent her subjects receiving honours from another nation in recognition of valuable service rendered?
In respect to my Question I should like to say that the Admiralty have, in my humble opinion, taken a wise and proper step in instituting the decoration and medals to which my Question refers. I only wish that something of the kind could be extended to the whole merchant service, for, after all, it is essentially a national service, and one upon which our Empire mainly depends. At the present time my suggestion, may, perhaps, be considered too progressive However it is some satisfaction to feel that at least a start has been made; that our merchant commanders, officers, and seamen are beginning to be recognised as they should be, and that the enormous importance of the service which they represent is becoming more and more adequately realised.
§ I beg to ask the Question standing in my name.
§ THE EARL OF GRANARDMy Lords, I am glad of the opportunity afforded by the noble Lord's Question to state on behalf of the Admiralty that the 246 King has been graciously pleased to approve of the institution of a long service and good conduct medal for the two principal branches of the Volunteer Naval Reserve—namely, the old-established Royal Naval Reserve, which is composed of persons belonging to the merchant service and the fishing community of this country; and, secondly, the Royal Naval Volunteers established five years ago by Lord Selborne's Board, acting on the report of a committee presided over by my right hon. friend the present Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs. His Majesty has approved of a new medal being designed and struck for the purpose, and has selected a design displaying on the obverse of the medal the effigy of His Majesty in naval uniform, and on the reverse a representation of H.M.S. "Dreadnought." The King has also approved of the institution of a decoration for officers for both the branches of the Naval Reserve, and this is somewhat similar in appearance to the existing Territorial Army decoration. The detailed rules which will govern the grant of both the decoration and the medal are now being framed, and until official sanction has been given to the regulations which it is intended to adopt, it is not possible for me to make any statement with regard to them on behalf of the Board of Admiralty.
§ House adjourned at twenty-five minutes before Seven o'clock, till To morrow at half-past Ten o'clock.