CO129-469 - Governor Sir Stubbs - 1921 [9-12] — Page 543

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with and without wireless telegraph apparatus, which entered the port during the first nine months of 1921.

3.

At the same time there can be no doubt that the circumstances of the China Coast make it particularly desirable in the interests of the persormel of ships and of the travelling public that ocean going ships should be properly equipped with wireless telegraph apparatus.

Such disasters as that of the S. 8. "Heng Mch* reported in my despatch No.198 of the 21st May, 1921, emphasise the necessity for such prevision,

4. Arrangements are now being made for the training at the Cape d'Aguilar Wireless Telegraph Station of Asiatics who are British subjects as wireless telegraph operators, with a view in the first instance to supplying

the needs of this Goverment; it would be possible to extend

these arrangements so as to provide qualified operators for employment on ships, and thus to meet one of the difficulties mentioned by the Chamber of Commerce,

Another suggestion, which has been put

forward by Mr. Ginzan, Marconi's representative in the Far Bast, is that the Marconi Company should establish in Hongkong a school for the training of operators, and this will probably afford the best solution of the difficulty. I would suggest that the views of the Board

..

of Trade should be obtained as to how far the proposals in the Harbour Master's memorandum might be adopted as a basis

of legislation in Hongkong,

With regard to the second paragraph of the

memorandum, however, I am of opinion that it would be better not te legislate, in the first instance at any rate, for ships of foreign nationalities using the port,

6.

It is most important to secure, if possible,

the co-operation of China and Japan in this matter,

and

I