Copy.
(F 4263/3071/10).
No.61
(& 2 copies).
8
His Majesty's Consul-General at Canton presents his
compliments to H.M. Principal Secretary of State for
Foreign Affairs and has the honour to transmit to him
the undermentioned documents.
British Consulate-General,
Canton.
19th April, 1939.
Name and Date.
Reference to previous correspondence:
Canton despatch No. 47 of 17th March, 1939.
Description of Enclosure.
Subject.
Canton despatch No. 81 of
19/4/39 to B. E. Shanghai
WHAMPOA PORT DEVELOPMENT SCHEME
Copies to:-
Foreign Office No. 61
(& 2 copies),
Governor, Hongkong No. 75
(& 1 copy).
Pag
Pag
No. 81
(& 2 copies)
Copies to:-
Foreign Office No.61
(& 2 copies) (by airmail) Governor, Hongkong No.75
(& 1 copy).
CONFIDENTIAL
BY SAFE HAND.
9
ge 9
WHAMPOA PORT DEVELOPMENT SCHEME.
British Consulate-General,
Canton.
19th April, 1939.
Sir,
In continuation of my despatch No. 62 of March
17th, and begging reference in particular to Enclosure No. 2
in my despatch No. 211 of November, 21st, 1938, I have the
honour to transmit a copy of a memorandum kindly supplied to
me confidentially by the local Commissioner of Customs, which
embodies a conversation which the Chief Engineer of the port
of Yokohama had with the Harbour Master here (a British
subject and Master Mariner) at the end of March.
I have, etc.,
(Signed) A.P. Blunt.
Consul-General.
His Excellency
Sir Archibald Clark Kerr, K.C.M.G.,
etc.,
etc., etc.,
His Majesty's Ambassador,
British Embassy,
Shanghai.
ge 9
Pa
Pa
Enclosure No. 1 in Canton despatch No. 81 of 19/4/39 to
B. E. Shanghai.
10
The Chief Engineer of the Port of Yokohama visited me at the office and talked at length of the development of Whampoa,
during which I gathered the following and give it for what
it is worth.
A. The development of Whampoa is certainly to be taken
in hand by the Japanese Authorities.
B. Any improvement will be on a more business like basis
than that contemplated by the Chinese Government and
definitely less expensive.
C. The maximum depth of any dredged channel is to be 24
feet below low water level and the maximum width to be
300 metres (984 ft.). I take it that this width refers
to channels seaward of Bocca Tigris, as channels nearer
Whampoa are bound to be much narrower than this. I
think, also, that actual dredging over the whole of
this width will be unnecessary as there is deep water
for a good proportion of it.
D. I formed the opinion that Hongkong is being ignored in
their calculations, which means that a deep water channel
must be developed outside of British waters between
Lintin and Lantao Islands and so out to sea.
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