The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1908-12-10
.AEON'S CREW DEFENDED
BY CAPTAIN DOWHIE

In recent mail advices from Sydney
are conflicting statements regarding
the conduct of the Chinese members
of the crew of the British S. S. Aeon,
after the wreck of the latter on
/ Christmas Island. On the one hand,
the Chinese are described as a mutt
nous gang, armed with revolvers and
knives, defying authority; while others
| laud them as band of self-sacrifcing
| heroes who never wearied in the at
tentiOns on the passengers and officers.
"lt's the greatest rot [ ever
| heard, - Captain DOwnie of the Aeon
is quoted as saying, adding: "They
worked splendidly, and 1 am perfectly
satisfied with their conduct right
through. The statement that the men
were armed with revolvers and knives,
and that ] was afraid of them, is a
deliberate fabrication, and [ never
made any complaint or iisparaging
remark concerning them. How these
tales have been circulated l know
not; but I say again they are abso-
luteIv untrue. / never saw either a
revolver or a knife in the possession
Of the men, and if they had them I
know nothing of it.
"The Chinese did not make a scene
when the vessel struck, nor did they
rush the lifeboats. On the contrary,
they were amenable to discipline, and
behaved coolly and nationally, obey
ing every order. Acting on my in
structions they handed round the life
belts to the women first and assisted
them to put them on. All the passen
gers were supplied before the Chinese
thought of themselves. There was
never a panic on board. and the Chi |
nese did not manifest great fear. I |
deny in toto the statements to the |
contrary, and repeat that I am well |
satisfied with the men. They worked
while on the island, not
only for themselves, but for all of |
us, and as a matter of fact they kept
us supplied all the time with fresh !
fish,
"The Chinese never did five min
utes' work except for themselves dur
ing the nine weeks and five days that
we were on Christmas Island,' Nor
man Yates, one of the passengers, is
as saying.
''They proved to be great thieves,
and preached the cargo on the first
Law that they were sent on board to
ret provisions. They took revolvers
md knives from the cargo, and were
them in their belts, but L
Ion It know whether they obtained
INV ammunition. / never heard that
hey actually threatened anyone with
he firearms. The Chinese acted dis
was common talk. They :
ushed the lifeboats as soon as the
Aeon struck, and while it is true that
hey supplied belts to the lady pas
engers. they looked after themselves
,efore attending to the male passen-
.ers or the officers. The Chinese knew
hat their wages ceased on the date
f the wreck, and the policy they
dopted was mo pay, no work. The I
My fresh fish they supplied US with
vas what they did not wish for them
elves. We did not want it either, for I
re had ample supplies of timed
aImon and herrings, and merely &C
epted the offerings because We did
OF want to hurt their feelings.
"You ask Captain Downie. He
nows Just as well as we do the dis
raceful manner in which the Chinese
ondueted themselves.
cit is quite true that there was
1me amount of ill-feeling among the
Ulcers of the Aeon" Mr.. Yates went
n to say. "and I know that quar-
els took place on Christmas Island.
engineer, for instance, disputed
ne captain s authority on the island.
You are captain of the ship, but you |
re not captain of this island he
I'D with emphasis. Jack is as good !
his master ashore, the engineer
lded, and the remark completely !
roke Captain Downie up. The com
ander was much depressed during
,e remainder of that day.
fsThere was a free fight between a
amoan passenger and the Chinese [
lief steward in connection with some
ores. -
A. 4