The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1924-05-20

For months past Hongkong
of pirates, until the public, ex-
cept when the exploit has been
more than usually daring have
almost lost interest.
The latest attack on the S. S. Tai
Lee-the second within three months
lis more in the nature of challenge
to the government of the British Col
ony than an ordinary piracy.
On each occasion the raid on the
"Tai Lee" has been particularly auda-
cious. In the first attack-which was
minently successful-the pirates shot,
and MORALLY wounded the British
captain, besides placing a number Of
Indian guards hors de combat.
The last attack on the "Tai Lee"
was even more daring than the first,
as on this occasion the Tai Lee was
acting as armed mother ship" to a
convoy of large river steamers.
There has been much dissatisfac-
ton, and many suspicious expressed
regarding the Hongkong Governments
action-or rather, lack of action-in
piracy suppression. The latest outrage
but serves to show how utterly
puerile the piracy prevention regula-
lions are,
Everyone-outside of the official
clique and the shipowners-has been
in agreement that the regulations are
ineffective, for vessels carrying six
and seven hundred passengers are
not even provided with wiz eless. The
Officers and Engineers Guilds on
whose members the brunt of the fray
has fallen-have been persistent in
their demand that a Naval escort be
provided on pirate infested runs, and
that the system of locked grilles,
which merely act as death traps in
case of accident, should be replaced
by wireless.
The latest pitatical exploit has spur
red the Guilds to direct action and,
as the result Of a lightning strike the
somnolent authorities have "been
pleased" to provide an armer Naval
escort.
Considering that many lives have
been lost, dozens of people wounded,
and some hundreds kidnapped and
held to ransom, this modicum of pro-
lection was long overdue.
Fierce Battle on Armed "Mother Ship"
Leaving Honeymoon for Hongkong
at her usual time on Friday, April IL,
all went well with the "Tai Lee" till
she had proceeded down river to with
in some nine miles of Honeymoon.
Without warning, the vessel was
greeted with a fusillade Of bullets
from the river bank on the port side,
and a few seconds later firing com
menced on the lower decks. Some
thirty pirates who had boarded the
vessel as passengers first gave their
attention to the engine-room staff, and
the second engineer (Mr. Lewis) who
was on duty at the time, found the
muzzle of an automatic pressed
against his chest.
The Ship Disabled.
The engineer was ordered to remove
certain parts of the machinery, but
instead of obeying he jumped to one
side. The pirate fired at point blank
range, but, fortunately he missed.
Two other pirates who had entered
the engine room opened fire and the
second engineer dived for. the shafting
tunnel. One of the freebooters took up
position at the tunnel door and emp
tied the contents of his revolver in
Mr.. Lewis direction. MiracuIously, he
was not struck, but he kept quiet until
his would-be murderer, evidently salts
fed that he could not have escaped,
moved of.
The next thing the hunted man
heard was the voice of a European po-
lice sergeant shouting, "Mr. Lewis, Mr..
Lewisl" He came out of the tunnel
and more shots were fred in. his direc-
ton. Presently the shooting in the
engine room died down and he made
his way to the stokehold, where he
found that all the fires had been
drawn.
On the Upper Deck.
Realizing that the lower decks had
been attacked, the officers on the top
deck at once prepared to resist. After
the second vessel in the convoy had
been signalled in Morse code and
Verey lights discharged, the guards
were placed behind the iron grilles
with guns trained on the sides of the
vessel; the police on the port side and
the ships Indian guards ON the star
board. The Captain, Chief Officer and
the Pilot remained at the helm, doing
their utmost to prevent the vessel