ABUSE OF THE SCAPHANDER IN THE SPONGE FISHERIES. 529 
once brought up in the Chamber of Deputies during the four years that have 
elapsed since then. It may be gathered hence that the partisans of the diving 
machine, wishing not to be molested, know how to hinder the presentation of 
the question before the Chamber, and without the vote of the Chamber the 
execution of the measures is of course impossible. Thus, then, the well-meant 
regulations are absolutely unimportant because they are impossible of execution‘ 
and they are worthless and impossible of execution also because they cost more 
than the industry yields—and this is the worst to be said about an industry. 
This wretched business is profitable now because all responsibility, all burdens, 
all the suffering of it, can be shifted and because the two countries where it 
exists, Greece and Turkey, have indorsed it for forty-two years. 
In January, 1907, the Greek Naval Office in Athens published the ‘‘ Guide 
for Divers”’ by the naval physician, Dr. Spiridon Livadas, and the naval lieu- 
tenant, Constantine Melads. By the wish of Her Majesty the Queen of Greece, 
Livadds and Melds were detailed for a few weeks to the diving school of the 
Russian fleet at Cronstadt, in order to familiarize themselves with the inno- 
vations and improvements brought about in this work. Their ‘‘Guide” does 
not give any statistics of death in the sponge fisheries, but it reiterates the 
advice already given by Katsaras and Savvas; and it has a highly suggestive 
title-page depicting a naked sponge fisherman lying on a bed in the hospital of 
Tripoli, his body covered with wounds, himself one of the numerous victims 
of the diving apparatus who died from gangrene after an illness of six 
weeks. This title-page, the short description of the sufferings of this victim, 
and the great number of precautions to be observed by the diver in order to 
avoid the grave danger threatening his life and health, are likely to frighten 
him, and thus this book renders a great service to the sponge fisheries. Not 
otherwise, however, can it prove of great benefit to Greek divers, for there is 
an enormous difference between the work of the divers in the navy, which is 
of great usefulness and harms nobody, and that of the sponge divers, who have 
to consider pecuniary remuneration and engage in work which causes the 
greatest harm to men and sponge resources. 
Thus, as shown by the official reports quoted; by the fact that the Greek 
Government maintains the hospital ship Kreta in the interests of the sponge 
divers; by the fact that a hospital has been established at Tripoli at the insti- 
gation of Her Majesty the Queen; by the issuance of circulars and regulations 
from the Greek Ministry of War—by all these various actions the evils of machine 
diving are acknowledged in Greece. I have obtained the favorable consideration 
of the King and the cordial sympathy and aid of the Queen in the cause of 
these suffering subjects. The people themselves have given evidence of their 
need and of their appreciation of efforts for their relief. But the logical and 
B. B. F. 1908—34 
