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Staff to
2
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the development
ing importance and
the dangerous
selection of
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A Starday
| exist að – an arus
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in of 170 acres of
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ivated ground,
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I to the people of
2
00 186
1
Cms
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CO 537/1427 THE NATIONAL ARCHIVES
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ins
N
Early in October, therefore, preliminary preparations in the form of
erecting domestic quarters for the R.A.7. construction wit and the quarrying of
granite went ahead, On the 25th the Commander-in-Chief informed the Chiefs of
Staff of this work and of the proposed dimensions of the ruway, roughly 3,000
yards long by 200 feet wide. He also stressed the value of this airfield as a
future ommercial port, the ambitions of CANTON to becoming the leading airbase
in South CHINA, and the presence of material and skilled technicians that would
enable work to be started straightaway. On the 5th November permission was
received to construct a runway of 2,000 by 50 yards, with an allowance for
possible expansion; the erection of buildings was not approved. Work therefore
went ahead with strict instructions from the C.-in-C, that no ripening rice crops
ware to be touched until the harvest had been gathered,
About this time the suspicions and resentment of the local Chinese, and
especially of those whose homes were to be appropriated, became increasingly
evident and manifestex themselves in complaints and petitions to both British and
Chinese authorities. The first indication of this dissatisfaction came when many
of the notices to quit were returned by the tenants torn in half.
Early in November articles attacking the HONG KONG Government's policy
appeared in the press, and on the 2nd it was reported that the villagers had
elected two representatives to approach the Chinese Government. These men placed
their complaints before Generals CHANG FA-KWEI and LO CHO-YING, Governor of
CANTON, and obtained promises that the matter would be submitted to CHUNGKING,
Complaints of unfair treatment continued, and KUMMING radio on the
4th of November announced that the monetary compensation to be paid was based on
the value of land in 1890. On the 17th a deputation of several hundred villagers
came to VICTORIA and presented petitions requesting that the project be withdrawn
to both the Commander-in-Chief and the Bishop of HONG KONG. More than ten
villages, they said, affecting 10,000 people were to be evacuated. Their land
would be destroyed arul they had nowhere to go. For hundreds of years this land
had belonged to their families; they had no other occupation.
Many of their complaints were based on untrue facts, which illiteracy and
commmal isolation had magnified and prevented from being corrected by official
assurances. The A.0.0. therefore on the same date made a comprehensive statement
on all the aspects of the airfield construction to clear up the misconceptions which appeared to be prevalent. He pointed out the important and essential part
/that
Cms
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CO 537/1427
THE NATIONAL ARCHIVES
Ins
N
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
Page 700Page 701
186
arm of
quarrying of
Chiefs of
3 $253,000
Field as a
ing airbase
that would
Lon was
ce for
rk therefore
ng rice crops
nese, and
sasingly
a British and
ame when many
1
2
Cms
Ref.:
THE NATIONAL ARCHIVES
CO 537/1427
2
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
s policy
gers had
se men placed
rnor of
CHUNG TẠI.
the
was based on
red villagers
be withdrawn
an ten
Their land
this land
iteracy and
by official
ive statement
onceptions
sential part
that
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