CO129-370 - Governor Sir Lugard & Public Offices - 1910 [12] — Page 474

QUESTION OF COMMUNICATION BETWEEN PROPOSED WIRELESS TELEGRAPH STATION OF EASTERN EXTENSION AND MARCONI COMPANIES AT HONG KONG AND PROPOSED STATION OF CHINESE GOVERNMENT AT PRATAS ISLAND.

TO THE PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD OF TRADE,

Tut Cables (Landing-Rights) Committee have the honour to submit the following Report :---

1. A meeting of the Committee was held on the 27th April 1910. Mr. Tennant presided, and there were also present :-

Mr. Johnson (Colonial Office),

Mr. Kirk (India Office),

Mr. Law (Foreign Office),

Colonel Macdonogh (War Office),

Mr. Mackay (Post Office),

Colonel White (Admiralty),

Mr. Wilkins (Treasury), and

Mr. Brown (Secretary).

2. The Committee considered a proposal which had been made for communication between the projected low-power wireless telegraph station of the Eastern Extension and Marconi Companies at Hong Kong and a similar station to be erected by the Chinese Government on Pratas Island (about 200 miles to the south-east of Hong Kong), for the purpose of transmitting weather reports to the mainland, in order to give warning to shipping of approaching storms. See No. 1 (with enclosures) and No. 2 of the annexed correspondence. See also Report No. 127.

3. Mr. Johnson explained that, before the Governor of Hong Kong had learnt the decision to grant a license to the Eastern Extension and Marconi Companies for a low-power station in that Colony, he had submitted proposals for the establishment of a high-power Government station there (see No. 3 of the annexed correspondence, with enclosures). The question of providing such a station would, Mr. Johnson assumed, depend on the decision ultimately arrived at as to the proposed establishment of a net-work of wireless communication throughout the Empire (see Reports Nos. 134 and 140). This question need not, however, affect the proposed grant of a license to the Eastern Extension and Marconi Companies for a low-power station, as there would, he understood, be room at Hong Kong for a station of each kind.

As regards the proposal that the lower-power station at Hong Kong should communicate with the projected station of the Chinese Government at Fratas Island, Mr. Johnson said that it had been the intention that the license to the Eastern Extension and Marconi Companies should be limited to communication with ships: but there seemed to be no objection to an exception being made in favour of communi- cation between Hong Kong and Pratas Island, in the same way that an exception had already been agreed to as regards communication between Goebilt (Sarawak) and the proposed station of the Eastern Extension and Marconi Companies at Singapore (see Report No. 135).

4. Colonel White said that the Admiralty saw no objection to the proposed communication, and the Committee generally concurred.

(Signed)

*

GEORGE W. JOHNSON, H. A. KIRK.

A. LAW.

}

SIR,

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No. 1.

COLONIAL OFFICE to ADMIRALTY.

WITH reference to the letter from this Department of the 16th of October 1908,

Downing Street, 22nd January 1910. I am directed by the Earl of Crewe to transmit to you to be laid before the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty a copy of a despatch (No. 435, 26th November) from His Majesty's Minister at Peking with regard to the suggested erection of a wireless telegraph station on Pratas Island.

2. I am to inquire whether, if this Station is established, the Lords Commissioners will agree to its communicating with the Naval Station at Hong Kong (as suggested by Vice-Admiral Lambton in his letter to the Governor of Hong Kong enclosed in the above-mentioned letter), or whether their Lordships are of opinion that it should communicate with the new Wireless Telegraph Station proposed to be erected by the Eastern Extension Telegraph Company and the Marconi Wireless Telegraph Company, to which reference is made in the Report of the Cable (Landing-Rights) Committee dated the 27th September 1909 (Serial No. 127). In the latter case the matter will be referred to the Committee to consider the question of thus extending the conditions of the proposed license to the Companies in question, as the Committee recommended that that license should be strictly limited to communication with ships.

I am, &c.,

SIR,

Enclosure 1 in No. 1.

H. W. JUST.

IN my despatch No. 170 of 8th May last I stated the reasons which made it

Peking, 26th November 1909. inexpedient for me to approach the Chinese Government at that time regarding the erection of a wireless telegraph station on the Pratas Islands, and I added that might possibly find a suitable opportunity later on of submitting Sir Frederick Lugard's suggestion to the favourable consideration of the Wai Wu Pu.

Sir Frederick Lugard having reverted to the subject received on October 24th last, I consulted my Japanese colleague and inquired whether, as the Pratas Islands difficulty had apparently been settled with Japan, a despatch which I he had any objection to the proposal. Mr. Ijnin telegraphed to Tokio, aud in due course assured me that there was no objection on Government.

the part of the Japanese In these circumstances, it appeared to me unnecessary to refer to you instructions, and in a Memorandum of the 19th instant, copy of which is enclosed, 1 accordingly submitted the proposal to the Wai Wu Pa, and at an interview on for the same day I supplemented this by a verbal explanation of all the circumstances which told in favour of the undertaking.

In their reply of November 25th, copy of which is likewise enclosed, the Wai Wu Pu inform me that the matter was referred to the consideration of the Board of Communications, and that the Viceroy of Canton has been instructed to make the necessary arrangements without delay.

I am forwarding a copy of this despatch to the Governor of Hong Kong. Sir Edward Grey, Bart., M.P.,

&c.,

&c.,

&c.

1 have, &c.

J. N. JORDAN.

(Signed)

F. J. BROWN,

G. M. W. MACDONOGH.

R. J. MACKAY.

H. S. NEVILLE WHITE.

ROLAND WILKINS.

Enclosure 2 in No. 1. MEMORANDUM.

Secretary,

23rd May 1910.

Mr. Tennant was unable to sign this Report on account of illness.

19th November 1909.

The institution of an observation station with a wireless telegraph installation on Pratas Island would be of great advantage during the typhoon season for the forecasting of storms in the southern portions of the China Seas, and a protection to all shipping frequenting the southern coasts of China.

E (33)4685. Pk. 25. 50. 6/10, E. & S.

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