CO129-482 - Public Offices - 1923 — Page 19

[This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government.j

Printed for the Committee of Imperial Defence. November 1922.

17

SECRET.

181-C.

29

COMMITTEE OF IMPERIAL DEFENCE.

HONG KONG-DEFENCE OF.

(Previous C.I.D. Papers Nos. 119–C, 120–C, 146-C and 167-C.)

Letter from Admiralty to Secretary, Committee of Imperial Defence. (No. M. 0255.) Sir,

Admiralty. October 28, 1922.

I AM commanded by my Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty to acquaint you that they have recently had under consideration the question of the effect of Article 19 of the Washington Agreement, a copy of which is attached, on the defence and development of Hong Kong.

2. Their Lordships have had in review all existing proposals bearing on this subject.

3. In most cases their Lordships have been able readily to determine whether these proposals were or were not admissible under Article 19 of the Treaty.

4. There remain, however, two points, viz., the question of the extension of the existing naval dry dock at Hong Kong and the question of storage at Hong Kong of spare parts for aircraft borne in His Majesty's ships, on which their Lordships did not feel able to give a decision.

5. The proposed extension of the dry dock is a small work; at present the dock will not accommodate H.M.S." Hawkins," which is the flagship of the station. To enable it to do so, it is proposed to cut a special recess at the head of the dock at the cost of about 14,0001. As there are commercial docks at Hong Kong which are capable of taking H.M.S. "Hawkins," the effect of the proposal is to avoid the expense of using a commercial dock, and their Lordships think that the work should be regarded as admissible under Article 19 of the Treaty.

6. The question of storage of spare parts for aircraft is distinct from the question, which the Committee of Imperial Defence have had under consideration, of the establishment of an air base at Hong Kong. It is the established practice that spare parts required for ships of the China Squadron should be stored at Hong Kong, and, as aircraft must be regarded in the future as part of the normal equipment of His Majesty's ships, it appears that the provision of facilities for storing spare parts for these aircraft should be regarded as a question of replacement," on the principle that the reserves stored at Hong Kong must necessarily change as the armament of the squadron develops.

My Lords would be glad to have the views of the Committee of Imperial Defence on these questions.

7. In addition, the effect of Article 19 on the questions of the establishment of a Naval Volunteer Reserve at Hong Kong will require consideration when the general question of Naval Volunteer Reserve in the Colonies comes before the Committee of Imperial Defence.

8. I am to remark generally as regards Article 19 that it has been suggested to the Admiralty that, as this article appears to refer to insular possessions only, it might be possible to evade the article by developing the establishments on the mainland. My Lords, however, consider that this interpretation of the Treaty would not be legitimate.

I am, &c.

CHARLES WALKER.

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