Memorandum.
143
The Ministry of Communications, Tokyo, was approached as
early as November 1927, by the Postmaster-General of the
Government of Hongkong with a view to establishing a direct wireless service between Hongkong and Japan. The former eagerly welcomed the proposition, but was obliged to answer, with regret, that owing to the absence of a wireless station available for the said service, it desired to let the matter stand over until a station suitable for the purpose, then under contemplation by the Japan Wireless Telegraphy Co.Ltd., would
be completed. In July 1931, the construction of the said wireless station having been completed and the equipment and preparation on both sides consummated, communications were experimentally exchanged, at the instance of the Government of Hongkong, between the stations in Hongkong and Tokyo. The result of the experiment was satisfactory and portended the possibility of regular service. Encouraged by this experiment the Ministry of Communications intimated on September 22nd 1931 their wish to enter into negotiation as to the probable date of inauguration, rate, etc., but the Government of Hongkong asked for a postponement for a month until the return to post of an electric engineer in charge. On October 15th, when the necessary preparations were being made on the part of the Japanese
authorities concerned and the Wireless Station, the Government of Hongkong wired the former to the effect that, owing to uncertainty regarding the future of radio-telegraph administration in Hongkong, they regretted that it would be inadvisable then to institute direct wireless service between Japan and Hongkong. Taken by surprise and failing to be convinced of the reason being sufficient to come to such a decision, the Japanese Ministry wired back, asking for the matter to be given favourable reconsideration and suggesting that it was prepared
to