CO129-443 - Governor Sir May - 1917 [7-9] — Page 63

I

j

2018

wady p

།

X 1、,,,

1 ว

TO:

57

pend on the trade and industry of the Colony.

10. We have taken account of the volume of allied and sutral shipping at present trading with the Colony, and the

lony will be able partly to rely asgin the past où His ship- ing. On the other hand it would appear very dangerous to trust bouch to allied and neutral shipping for the carrying on of the le of the port, as neutral companies have no sentiment in the tter and would send their ships to the best freight market. An portant point is that, whereas neutral shipping has been evail- ble in considerable quantities in the past for the Honkong

ade, the terms have had to conform to those of British ships, t if the letter are removed or British tommage reduced to tho

reat an extent, it is conceivable that neutral ships might i pose

ch terms as would seriously handicap some of the important

n kong industries in their competition with similar industries.

a the neighbouring countries. It is also conceivable that with

le present conditions affecting universal shipping that allied

d neutral tonnage may at any moment be required at short notice

the owners' Government for their om national needs.

11.

47 British steamers representing approximately 50,000 tons d.w.c. and 45% of the British tonnage operating in

be llon kong and Far Eastern trades herein referred to, have now een requisitioned for Imperial service elsewhere.

12.

12

Having before use the foregoing considerations we ove the honour to report that we consider the vital requirements

the Colony at this time to be :-

13.

The maintenance of the ordinary trade and establish ed industries of the Colony and the maintenance of a due proportion of the regular British shipping lines for the service thereof supplemented by allied, and

neutral tonnage.

The amount of British tonnage necessary to

uch requirements is essentially variable, and any speci amount of tonnage could only be an arbitrary figure. Raj quest an actual figure we prefer te recommend what app

*