Books: Chinese Pirates

PIRATE JUNK—Clifford Johnson—Scribner ($2.50).

In China little boys still have the chance of growing up to be pirates. Bias Bay, No. 1 Pirate Centre of the world, is today as unsafe for peaceful merchantmen as the Spanish Main or the Barbary Coast ever were. Because Chinese pirates often disguise themselves as passengers, ships plying in those dangerous waters are fitted with "anti-piracy grilles" that screen off the deck-passengers from the rest of the vessel, prevent surprise attacks. Until last year, piracy was unknown along China's northern coast. Then one March morning pirate junks attacked...