Japan’S Poachers

Destruction of the Trochus Beds

IT is reported in a Sydney newspaper, February 12, that two fast Japanese warships “have been released to patrol between the Dutch East Indies and Aus tralia, for the protection of Japanese pearling fleets.”

It is added that these Japanese war ships “are intended as a gesture of defiance to Australian patrol vessels.

This is the kind of congenital idiocy which degrades Australian journalism and vitiates international relationships.

All well-informed people know that the persistent, increasing poaching by itinerant Japanese craft has reached such alarming proportions that Australia has protested officially to Japan; that Japan has expressed regret and promised to do everything possible to reduce the nuis ance; and that, if Japan is sending war ships in the manner stated, the warships will prove to be small armed patrol ves sels, whose purpose will be to police'their own nationals, and try to prevent their depredations on shell-beds within terri torial waters. Outside of the three miles limit the Japanese have the same right as any other men to the products of the sea.

A Thursday Island business man, writ ing to the Editor on February 3, said: “I wonder when we will see that fast patrol launch promised by the Govern ment years ago? In the meantime, our beds of trochus shell are fast being de pleted by the marauding Japanese sam pans.

“They are taking away all the im mature shell, to grow in their own waters.”