A
REPORT AS TO PROPOSED WIRELESS COMMUNICATION BETWEEN
HONG-KONG AND MACAO.
3
No. 1.
BRITISH AMBASSADOR AT LISBON to FOREIGN OFFICE.
No. 52.-Commercial.
SIR,
75
Lisbon, 3rd October 1910.
TO THE PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD OF TRADE.
The Cables (Landing-Rights) Committee have the honour to submit the following Report:--
1. A meeting of the Committee was held on the 24th November 1910. presided, and there were also present:
Captain Fitz Maurice (Admiralty),
Mr. Johnson (Colonial Office),
Mr. Kirk (India Office),
Mr. Law (Foreign Office),
Colonel Macdonogh (War Office),
Mr. Mackay (Post Office),
Mr. Pelham (Board of Trade), Mr. Wilkins (Treasury),
and
Mr. Simon (Secretary).
Mr. Tennant
2. The Committee considered an inquiry from the Portuguese Government whether permission should be granted to Mr. R. Taylor, a British subject resident at Hong-Kong, to establish communication by wireless telegraphyb etween Hong-Kong and Macao, a Portuguese island about 40 miles from Hong-Kong (see the annexed correspondence).
3. Mr. Mackay said that there was no room for two low-power stations at Hong- Kong, and Mr. Taylor had already been refused a license by the Colonial Office on the ground that a license was to be granted to the Eastern Extension and Marconi Companies (in accordance with the Committee's recommendation in Report Serial No. 127). The question was whether communication might be established between the station which would be erected by these Companies and a station at Macao. Suitable arrangements would have to be made between the Portuguese Government and the Eastern Extension Telegraph Company, who were to work the station at Hong-Kong.
Mr. Johnson said that the Colonial Office saw no objection to an extension of the license for the Hong-Kong station to admit of communication with Macao. The Committee had already recommended in favour of giving special permission for that station to communicate with a Chinese Government station on Pratas Island (about 200 miles away) for the receipt of weather reports (see Report Serial No. 141). The present proposal was analogous to that of the Netherland Government for the establishment of communication by wireless telegraphy between Paramaribo and British Guiana, the acceptance of which the Committee had already recommended, provided that suitable arrangements could be made by the Netherland Government with the West India and Panama Telegraph Company (see Report Serial No. 146).
4. The Committee agreed to recommend that a reply in this sense be given to the Portuguese Government.
(Signed)
(Signed)
L. SIMON,
Secretary,
7th December 1910,
H. J. TENNANT (Chairman). MAURICE FITZMAURICE.
G. W. JOHNSON.
H. A. KIRK.
A. LAW.
G. M. W. MACDONOGH.
R. J. MACKAY.
T. H. W. PELHAM.
ROLAND WILKINS.
I HAVE the honour to enclose translation of a memorandum communicated to me by the Minister for Foreign Affairs respecting an application from Mr. Robert Taylor, a resident in Hong-Kong, for permission to establish connection by wireless telegraphy between the Colony and Macao.
The Portuguese Government desire to have the opinion of His Majesty's Government with regard to Mr. Taylor's application, and I shall be glad to receive your instructions upon the subject.
I have, &c.,
F. H. VILLIERS.
Translation.
Enclosure in No. 1.
The British subject Robert Taylor, resident in Hong-Kong, has applied to the Portuguese Government for permission to establish a connection with Macao by means of wireless telegraphy. The Portuguese Government would be disposed, in principle, to take the request of this British subject into consideration. In accordance, however, with the reasons which determine that the opinion of His Britannic Majesty's Govern- ment should be first taken in these matters, the Portuguese Government have the honour to inform His Excellency Sir Francis Villiers of the application in question, and would be glad to know whether the British Government think the request made by Mr. R. Taylor worthy of consideration.
Lisbon, 29th September 1910.
No. 2.
COLONIAL OFFICE to FOREIGN OFFICE.
No. 31,521/10. (39,244.)
SIR,
Downing Street, 27th October 1910. I AM directed by the Earl of Crewe to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 14th October (36,583) enclosing a trauslation of a memorandum communicated by the Portuguese Minister for Foreign Affairs, respecting Mr Taylor's application for permission to establish connection by wireless telegraphy between Hong-Kong and Macao.
2. Subject to Secretary Sir. E. Grey's concurrence, Lord Crewe proposes to refer the matter to the Cables (Landing-Rights) Committee with a view to considering whether the station to be erected at Hong-Kong by the Eastern Extension Telegraph Company and Marconi's Wireless Telegraph Company, Limited, could be allowed to communicate with a station at Macao.
3. Mr. Taylor has already been refused a license to establish a wireless station in Hong Kong on the ground that a license has been promised to the above-mentioned Companies.
4. I am to take this opportunity of forwarding, with reference to your letter of the 22nd December 1909 (45,215),* the enclosed copy of a Secret despatch to the Officer Administering the Government of Hong-Kong on the subject of wireless installations in the Colony and communication with the proposed station on Pratas Island.
1 am, &c.,
H. BERTRAM COX.
* (33)6857. Pk. 32. 50. 12/10. E. & S.
*Not printed.