CO537-(1262-1649) — Page 699

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CO 537/1427

THE NATIONAL ARCHIVES

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restrictions. Further information is given in the enclosed 'Terms and Conditions of supply of National Archives' leaflet. Please note that this copy is supplied subject to the National Archives' terms and conditions and that your use of it may be subject to copyright

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APPENDIX G

Prepared by

00185

Ale Reynold, Careef of Staff to Circ. Hong Kong.

The need for a large

airport in HONG KONG, for both R, A, F. and

civilian use, has been accentuated since the end of the war by the development

în recent years of heavy, long range aircraft, and by the growing impertence and

possible cameraial imminence of the CANTON airfields.

The difficulty of erbending the aerodrome at KAI-TAK and the dangerous

propinquity of its mountains has therefore made necessary the selection of

another site where a field of adequate dimensions o«n be constructed. A survey

of the Colony in October, 1945 revealed that only one such alte ciated

round PING SHAN village, about 16 miles Northwest of KOWLOON Peninsula, în the

NEW TERRITORIES,

This site, which it was intended should include one long runny capable of

handling the heaviest aircraft, contained a large proportion of rios-bearing land,

The building of a single rummy would necessitate the conversion of 170 sores of

padły-field and the rumval of five or six umll villages. Technical and adminia-

trative sitos and buildings could be loanted any frau thé cultivated ground,

certain amount of constructional material was adjacent to the site, and two

granite quarries of xple capacity were easily accessible

A

The legal aspect of taking over this territory presented a for problems,

difficult although not impossible of solution, The HƠNG KONG Government had

undertaken under the lease conditions to interfere as little as possible with tho

lives of the Chinese, and when it was neosusary to displace the tenants of land

to pay them proper compensation.

It has always been the Government's paliay to give this co-permati ́n in kind,

rather than in money. But almost ali cultivated land in the K24 TEMIRIS3 is

now privately owmed, and ability to provide all displaced landholdara vish

recompense in kind is not easy. However, it ma intended that everything possible

should be done to offer alternative land, hotases and employment to the people of

these villages,

/Backy

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Cms

THE NATIONAL ARCHIVES

Ref.:

CO 537/1427 restrictions. Further information is given in the enclosed Terms and Conditions of supply of National Archives' leaflet. Please note that this copy is supplied subject to the National Archives' terms and conditions and that your use of it may be subject to copynght|