67
3.
required for his factory.
5.
I enquired of Mr. Gourlie how much material
he contemplated carrying along the Bhamo Manwing Road.
His estimate was that his initial requirements would
amount to some 3,000 tons and that he would employ 15
to 20 lorries. He was satisfied that the condition
of the Bhamo-Manwing road was adequate for his purposes.
He contemplated certain trade advantages being derived
by Burma inasmuch as he would be purchasing his lumber,
his petrol and his cement in Burma. As regards the
advantages of his proposed site over that at Manshih
referred to in item (2) of my note of the 10th November,
he pointed out that the haulage from Burma to his site
would be only 67 miles compared with the 137 miles from
Lashio to Manshih. He was aware of the fact that malaria
is common all through the area, but he had made no
special enquiries about this, and it did not seem to be
a matter of any very great concern to him.
6.
Mr. Gourliementioned the fact that his Company
had signed a new contract with the Chinese Government
on October the 1st by which the Chinese Government
undertook to accept the output of the contemplated factory
and had made funds available in New York to meet their
obligations under the contract. Mr. Gourlie had also
discussed with Mr. Gardener the question of customs in
the event of a factory being established on the site which
he contemplates, and Mr. Gardener had asked Mr. Gourlie
who has been transferred to Hongkong to get in touch
with him in Hongkong in regard to this matter. The
possibility of arranging a temporary Customs station
to meet the local needs was also a subject of discussion.
This aspect of the case, however, seems to me to be of
no particular concern to the Government of Burma.
7./