HAMLYN'S MENAGERIE MAGAZINE. 
83 
the Board of Trade. Lord Rothschild and Mr. 
Warwick Brookes wrote encouraging letters, 
offering to do their utmost on my behalf. 
I wish here to express my thanks to Lord 
Rothschild for the great interest he has taken in 
this matter. 
The next step was to interview the Secretary 
of the Import Restrictions Department, giving 
him the fullest information concerning the con- 
signment, also copies of all correspondence. 
On the 6th March the question was answered 
in the House of Commons. This cutting is from 
the Official Report :— 
WILD ANIMALS (IMPORTATION). 
51. Colonel LOCKWOOD asked the 
Prime Minister whether he is aware that on or 
about this date a ship' is expected to reach Eng- 
land having on board t\vo elephants, one large 
pigtail ape, one tiger, 400 monkeys (some extra 
size), five pythons, and 100' Indian shamar; that 
at a later date a consignment is expected of 
thirty-one pythons (10 feet to 20 feet), one tiger, 
eight pandas (very rare), 220 monkeys, and so 
forth; that a further consignment is expected 
later of sea-lions from San Francisco, and a 
zebra from South Africa; whether these imports 
will be placed on the prohibited list; and who 
is the official responsible for having allowed 
these consignments to be shipped to this coun- 
try at the present time? 
Mr. ROBERTS : My right hon. Friend has 
asked me to answer this question. Prior to 
seeing the question I had no knowledge of the 
shipments referred to. I will consider the ad- 
visability of prohibiting the importation of wild 
animals for show purposes. Apart from such 
prohibition no offical sanction is required for 
the shipment of a particular consignment on a 
vessel whose general employment has been 
licensed. 
Colonel LOCKWOOD : May I ask if the 
serpents come from the professed site of the 
Garden of Eden in Mesopotamia? 
Mr. W. THORNE: Are they going to be 
put on proper rations? 
.Mr. WATT: Will they be handed over to 
the Kitchen Committee? 
The "Pall Mall Gazette," Sl.h March, has 
the following : — 
ANIMAL SHIPS. 
Col. Lockwood, M.I'., and Wasted Tonnage. 
"If the tonnage problem is as serious as 
tin- evidence <>f experts leads us to believe, it 
seems to me perfectly scandalous thai any por- 
tion should be wasted in bringing to this coun- 
try useless animals." 
This was the view expressed to a "Pall 
Mall Gazette" represesntative by Colonel Lock- 
wood, M.P. , who asked in the House of Com- 
mons whether a ship was about to' reach this 
country having on board two elephant's, one 
large pigtail ape, one tiger, 400 monkeys, five 
pythons, and 100' Indian shamar. 
An Unsatisfactory Answer. 
"I tell you frankly," said Colonel Lock- 
wood, "that I am far from satisfied with the 
answer I received from Mr. Roberts, who re- 
plied on behalf of the Board of Trade. It was 
the usual official answer, non-committal and 
absolutely valueless. Mr. Roberts was unaware 
of the consignment until my question brought 
it to his notice. He said he would consider the 
possibility of prohibiting the import of animals 
for show purposes, and that was all. 
" In our home occupations we have to differ- 
entiate between what is really required and 
what is superfluous, and surely this should apply 
equally to our imports." 
The Justification. 
"Mr. J. D. Hamlyn, who is responsible 
for this consignment, justifies his action on two 
main points. He says he is endeavouring to 
capture a trade which prior to the war was 
largely in the hands of a German. That I do 
not dispute; I appreciate the efforts of anyone 
who is attempting to oust the Germans from the 
commercial world; but my appreciation ceases 
when those efforts are contrary to the direct 
and pressing- needs of the country. 
"Mr. Hamlyn \s second contention is that 
the animals do not occupy tonnage that would 
be available for the transport of food, as they 
are quartered on deck !" 
Seeing that Col. Lockwood, M.P., persists in 
his statement that some part of the consignment 
occupies food space, I asked the various Ship- 
ping Companies interested to state the actual facts. 
Here are the letters-: — 
"Sir, 
28 Boxes Wild Animals. 
With reference to the above animals coming 
from Calcutta, via the Cape, by the S.S. "City 
of Bombay," due here about the 15th instant, 
we beg to state these consignments are carried 
on deck at Shipper's risk and do not therefore 
encroach upon any cargo space in the hold of 
the steamer. The food for the above animals is 
shipped in Calcutta, and also carried on deck 
a I Shipper's risk. 
(Signed) Montgomerie and Workman, 
Agents lor City Line of Steamers, 
36, Gracechurch Street, K.C." 
