1941-09-30 — Page 38

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sideration to the construction at mn-ARP-Store, ARP. Schooli

and Headquartors;"

türer.

Additional Staff

THE CHINA MAIL SEPTEMBER 30, 1941.

GIVING EVIDENCE

report on the year 1890 by Lieti-million dollars ts blast-proof? tenant-General Norton, then act Yes, but it takes less then a week ting Governor of Hong Kong, to to make them blast' proof. the Secretary of State for the Co-But it has not been done? - lonies, in which he said that the Xos.

satisfactory progress achieved in Don't you think it was: u duty the year under review. in precuit- to make them blast-proof as soon tions against air attack has been as possible? Discussions on -He sold: My staff while at the largely due to the energy and in this have been going on for the Colonial Secretarlat, consisted at tiative of Wing • Commandor, last six months, whether to put the commencement of only my Steele-Perkins who was appoint the blast-proof curtain on the self and a stonographer After ed ARP. Offeer at the beginning inside or outside of the tunnel few months I found it necesary of the year."

entrances. Exploratory work is to get a Chinese anti-gas lec-Referring to another report sent being done.

In January, 1940 to the Secretary Chairman: Was he paid? Yes, of State for the Colonies, Wing- Commander Steelc-Perkins spid the extract read: “*. An excel Assuming that in September, lent and clear report on the pro- 1940, the tunnels were started; it gress of the DAR.P. and his has taken the Tunnels Committee staff.

over a year to decide whether to The Chairman: You just said put up blast-propf curtains? that the dispatch by His Excel Yes, lency spoke of the excellent work, The Chairman also pointed out n precautions against air attack;to witness that a system was that in 19397-Yes...

sir.

How much didho get a month? About $400. After instruction I-appointed. Mr-Chan Tak-kwong to ill the place and as work was on the increase L found it. neces- sary to appoint another Chinese anti-gas instructor..

Was he paid?—Yes, sir. How much? I am not sure, but I think $50..less than what Mr. Chan was getting.

It was $350 then? Yes, sir. Continuing, witness said: To- wards the end of 1939 I found the work of organising A:RP. work beyond a single man and in 1940 Mr. Puckle was appointed and this permitted me to leave a cer- tain amount of detail in his hands and I could concentrate on major problems.

Witness stated that as the construction. of the AR:P. store was of paramount im- portance, he approached, in March, 1938, the then Director "qf| Public Works,

Chairman Who was this? Tickle, sir.

+

Qutside-Architect

Mu

Witness continued that; this.of ficial told him that no officer.could be spared from PW:D. for that work and witness ¡later applied to the Financial Secretary for, and was granted, permission to call In an outside architect, witness add- ing that when he informed. the D.P.W. of this, the latter verbally suggested Messi's. Leigh and Orange.

And in 1040 you would that the work went out of precaution stage? Yes.

Why?

Over A Year:

of

blast-proof,curtains could be de- say signed on paper and put up when the the tunnels were completed.

The Chairman: Was a system Iam un- actually designed?

able to answer.

I

Witness explained that he had

Yes, I to take orders from the Defence I say: It was never designed,

be wrong? would Council..

} think so.

Take the Hong Kong and Kaw- loon tunnels. Are you as Direc toriqi A,R.P., prepared to say that taken collectively an efficient ven- tilation system has been installed?

Not mechanical ventilation.

"Government was extremely slow," he said, adding that the whole.outlook was changed when General -Norton arrived in August 1940.

Speed Up

The Chairman: Then things speeded up?--Yes,

And continued at speed? Yes.

the same

The Chairman then drew wit- ness's attention to a sum of over $8,000,000 which Government had spent on A.R.P. work, as fol- Iqws:

Tunnels Penshelters Dug-outs,

.: $4,604,348:26 $439,154.23

*Three Hours ».

A statement has been made by -n.witness that the system of ven- Kilation was bad mild – thất

would be suffocated if kept inside for any length of time Do you agree?—I do not; in Kowloon any- way the system would allow for a period of three hours.

What about Hong Kong? They are being given mechanical ven- tilatoin systems.

How many?--I think three.

sandbags, etc. $2,867,053.06 Norsonnel etc. ../$266,937.55

Out of a total of? Ten groups. The Chairman: In your opinion,

Are you satisfled that Hong as Director of A.R.P. has Gov- Kong and Kowloon groups taken. ernment received 100 per cent collectively are in such an ad-- value for the eight million dol-vanced state that the ventilation lars?It is a difficult question to system would allow people to re- answer. I think Government ‚re- main inside for 24 hours? No. ceived good value.

Have you been to Kowloon Jale- ly?—Yes.

Witness, in continuation, said it should be noted that it was not till March, 1939, that Mr. Hobbs was

For how long? Three hours. detalled to act as his technical ad-

With a supply of air for only viser and, that up to that time he

six hours they would be suffocat had been carrying on without one. What is your opinion? Would | ed?--I would not go so far. Even then, Mr. Hobbs worked in you say they are first class tun- But they will be extremely his own office at P.W.D., and it nels? They would serve the puruncomfortable?--Yes. was not til September that he pose they were built for--to give Questioned on his visit - to (Mr. Hobbs) began to work in an shelter to a certain number of Chungking, witness said that he office adjoining his own next to people.

went in September, 1940, being the Colonial Secretary's Qfice. You consider the tunnels proof sent by Government to inspect the Witness then went on to tell against air attack? The work on A.R.P. measures adopted in of a conference at which it was the Kowloon tunnels was planned Chungking.. decided that payment for ARP on the assumption of providing work would be made out of cover against 500-pound bombs. :

·

PWD. funds and not A.R.P. funds, and this conference re- sulted in a confidential schedule for A..P. work for 1999-40 to be debited to PW.D., and that the only responsibility left with him was to apply for funds for equip ment and stores.

› No Further Dealings

Bomb Progress

In reply to the Chairman, wit- ness said he was aware of the great progress made in the manu- facture of bombs... He added: "To my

mind an enemy would be foolish to use a 1,000-pound Hornb except on such places as a naval yard.

He concluded: · In June, 1940, Do you think they would use. I minuted the Hon. Colonial them on a barracks? Yes, if it Secretary that I had no objection is occupied.

to the transfer back of Mr. Hobbs The Chairman: In any case, the to the PW,D,. staff. This was tunnels in Kowloon wore built on agreed by the Officer Administra the assumption that they would ting the Government, the Hon. have to stend 500-pound bombs Mr. N. L. Smith, and on June 18 and on these Government" spent I minuted the P.WD. Since $866.0507-Yes. July 1, 1940, I had no further dealings with construction work.

Commander Steele-Perkins rend out a list of the different AR:P.. Services which, he sold, he had assisted in organising. They-in-

Witness admitted that he was responsible for choosing the gite under the reservoir.

The Chairman: Have you visit ed it?--Yes.

7

cluded schemes for protection What is your opinion? It is measures for the general public, proved by General Norton who

damp. The sites were ap communications and transport He also assisted the Hon. Director

himself visited them. „

Why?

of Medical Services, in organising of the objectives of an enemy Do you agree with me that one the medical services on a war would be a reservoir? Not in basis and the dispersal areas,

Kowloon.. Training of the Police in anti- gas measures, was also undertaken and finally co-ordination of the servicos, and all the schemes.

He had also to work out detail edarrangements, for black-out exercises and sector exercises Even no

he pointed out, sector exorcises were being carried twice a week.

“Short Resume” Describing his detailed state- ment as a short resume of the ramifications of AR.P., Wing Commander Steeles Perkins said that there were many other details which took up, considerable time.

"Had it not been for the whole hearted cooperation of the Chin- ese community, I would not be able to produce such a satisfac- tory picture," quid the D.AR.P,

Official Tributes

Witness then indicated that he could answer the question in camern.

The Chairman; Generally speaking, reservoirs are military objectives? Vos, but they to very difficult to destroy.

Bent Available

Youps Director of LAR.Par quite satisfied with the siting.or tunnels in Kowloon?Thoy pre the best we could get.

You are not prepared to say they not the best? No

Have you visited the tunnels in Hong Kong lately? Yes.

hoy What is your opinion? will serve the purpose for which they have been built, ~

Is there any tunnel in Hong Kong, not completed? I Will have to color to the Director of -P.W.D.

Wing Commander Steele - Per- Is it right that the entrancos kina then drow, the attention of of not one tunnel in Hong Kong the Commission to an extract of al on which Government spent a

Particularly about tunnels? No, the general organisation.

Did you inspect the tunnels there? Yes.

How many? Between 20 and 30.

Witness agreed with the sug- gestion that a good many tunnels.

Continued on Page::11)

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