The purpose of this Act is to give effect to Article 41 of the International Convention for the safety of life at sea. Article 41 reads as follows:
The contracting Governments agree that after midnight on 30th June, 1931, helm or steering orders, i.e., orders to the steersman, shall on all their ships be given in the direct sense, e.g., when the ship is going ahead an order containing the word "starboard" or "right" or any equivalent of "starboard" or "right" shall only be used when it is intended, on ships as at present generally constructed and arranged, that the wheel, the rudder blade, and the head of the ship shall all move to the right.
As a result of tradition which existed since ships were steered by tillers, it has always been the practice that if it was intended that a ship should go to the right to give the order to move the helm to the left. One could easily understand that as the tiller had to be moved to the left to get the head of the ship to go to the right. As a result of the International Conference it has been agreed generally, among all countries, that the system of direct orders shall prevail. That system already prevails in the United States and for the ships of other countries. The British Mercantile Marine adhered to the old system. But they have agreed now to bring the new system into operation from January next and so it is desirable that our system should work in conformity with theirs.