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APPENDIX II.
Governor, Hong Kong, to Secretary of State for the Colonies.
Hong Kong, February 18, 1926.
Sır.
I HAVE the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your secret despatch* of the 10th December, 1925, covering a copy of a letter with enclosures in original from the Air Ministry. The enclosures deal with a suggestion for the provision of an aerodrome site in the Colony, and the despatch calls upon me to furnish a report upon the practicability of the proposals of the Air Ministry and the cost involved. You enquire further whether the arguments adduced in Sir R. E. Stubbs' secret despatch of the 13th October, 1925, on the subject of expenditure for the increase of the Garrison of Hong Kong apply equally to the question of Air Defence.
2. I welcome the opportunity of expressing my views, as since my arrival in the Colony in November 1925, the question of providing aircraft for Hong Kong have had it under the most has been continuously pressed on my attention, and
careful consideration from every aspect. The requirements of the Defence of the Colony, the possibilities of Police aviation, and the probable development of civil commercial aviation have all been passed under review and fully discussed; and the matter of aerodrome accommodation has inevitably arisen in considering any aspect of the question.
3. The first experience of the Colony in aviation for Defence purposes has been provided during the last six months by the presence of H.M.S. "Hermes with a flight of seaplanes; and the experience has been important as foreshadowing the value of Police aviation in a Colony where natural obstacles to rapid communi- cation are unusually serious. For purposes of defence the Air Patrol of the Frontier Hermes has been of great value as a maintained by the seaplanes of H.M.S. deterrent to the operations of strike pickets which I have described in my despatch No. 72 of the 18th February, and has demonstrated the necessity of providing an Air Force Arm for any complete Scheme of defence that may be devised.
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4. In this connection, I request your attention to the article extracted from the "Hong Kong Daily Press of the 9th February, 1926, which forms the first enclosure to this despatch. The development of aviation in Canton in an organised manner has been under consideration for a long time past, and the rapid march of events in the Province (especially in military matters) augurs the early establish- ment of such an arm. Aeroplanes have already been used in the recent fighting m Kuang-tung, and, though they are probable, as yet, of little material value, their development may be expected. In any case, the fact that they could, even now, fly over the Colony of Hong Kong with complete impunity must be a source of anxiety 5. H.M.S. "Hermes" utilised seaplanes only, but the Naval Authorities found it necessary to provide some accommodation ashore for her land machines, and this was found on the West portion of the Kai Tak reclamation, near Kowloon City, on which temporary sheds (so marked on the plan which forms enclosure 2* in this despatch) were erected. The Admiralty ordered on the 17th November that these sheds should be abandoned by the Naval Authorities, and I directed that they should be taken over and maintained at the expense of the Colonial Government. The area on which the sheds stand and the open ground in front of them constitute an important part of the complete scheme, which I put forward in paragraphs 12. 14, 15 and 16 below.
6. In formulating the scheme, I have not overlooked the policy outlined in "Notes on Proposals for Air Base at Hong Kong," of which a copy was received from the General Officer Commanding the Troops, China Command, under date the 4th December, 1925. It runs as follows:-
"It is not considered that any air menace to Hong Kong exists at the present time from China, since the Chinese only possess a few aircraft which could be kept in check by our machines flown off Carriers as soon as such vessels are stationed on the China Station. Should, however, developments of Chinese Air Forces occur, or the present situation in China be materially altered, the Government might deem it necessary, in order to safeguard our interests in China, to establish an Air Base in Hong Kong, in spite of the difficulties and great expense involved.
* Not reproduced.
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"There is, however, no intention of doing so at the moment, and conse- quently international questions regarding the Treaty (Washington) do not
arise.
"The establishment of a base for seaplanes at Hong Kong presents fewer difficulties than forming a landplane base. Since, however, the only justifica- tion for forming a base at all would be to resist Air aggression from the Mainland, whatever aircraft were provided must possess the capacity to oppose with success not merely the few inefficient aircraft at Canton, but high-class modern machines flown by skilled foreign pilots.
"It is not the policy of the Air Staff to utilise seaplanes for action of this nature, since, though they have undoubtedly a certain capacity for offence and defence, they are inferior in this respect to landplanes of a corresponding class
"The establishment of a Volunteer Air Unit, which might perhaps combine defence, commercial and police functions, is a question which falls under a different category to that of forming a Service Air Base. It is intended shortly to review the strength and provision of local Defence Forces for all British Colonies, with a view to making recommendations to Colonial Governments. Until this enquiry is completed, the Air Staff are not in a position to state positive views as to the formation of a local Air Unit at Hong Kong.
The development of a commercial Air Base cannot be classified with any measures undertaken for the defence of Hong Kong. Whatever the potential value of Commercial Aircraft may be for War purposes, the development of a Commercial Service should proceed on purely Commercial lines.
"In short, the Air Ministry will not, under present conditions, attempt to establish an Air Base at Hong Kong. If, however, Commercial conditions were to call for a Commercial Air Service at Hong Kong, the Air Ministry would encourage such developments. The desirability of establishing an Air Base at Hong Kong, if and when such a course becomes practicable, should, however, be borne in mind, and any projected building construction which might have a restrictive influence on flying facilities on or in the vicinity of suitable sites for Aerodromes and Seaplane Bases should be carefully watched."
The consideration of Police and of civil aviation demand foresight in the provision of space for a shore aerodrome, and, in my view, the time is not far distant when the development of military aviation in China will demand a modification of "these proposals for an Air Base." It is necessary, in any event, having regard to the dearth of suitable aerodrome sites in this Colony to be prepared for the possibilities to which the Notes" refer.
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7. The adequate defence of this Colony demands the continuous presence of aircraft; and proper provision, even for seaplanes, includes space ashore.
Hermes" has latterly utilised, as has been stated in paragraph 3 above, a small portion at the west end of the Kai Tak reclamation; and this and the reclaimed ground in front of the sheds must, in the absence of any other suitable site in the Colony, continue to be reserved against such developments in aviation in the near future as may require shore accommodation. On the advice of Captain Talbot, R.N., and Wing-Commander Cull, R.A.F., a more suitable area within the Kai Tak boundaries has been selected for future developments; this area is bordered red on the plan which accompanies this despatch. Much of it is, however, as yet unreclaimed, the existing water-line being indicated in blue; but the quay wall shown is practically complete across the whole front of the proposed reclamation forming the Kai Tak concession.
8. Recent experience with aircraft in the Colony has shown that they prove of great value in assisting the work of the Police, and I propose that a small squadron should be permanently stationed here for that purpose. The report of Captain C. P. Talbot, R.N., which forms enclosure 3 in this despatch, sets out the functions of the squadron, and suggests in full detail the type and number of machines, and the requirements for the Base and the Personnel. It provides also an estimate of the expenditure, capital and recurring. Any expenditure for the acquisition of land necessary for an aerodrome will be additional to the estimated capital expenditure of £16,500.
9. There still remains for consideration the question of the possible develop- ments of Civil Aviation in general. Tentative efforts have already been made on certain routes from Hong Kong, and it cannot be doubted that geographical considerations alone will make the Colony an essential stage in any scheme that may be developed either for communication with the interior of China or for connecting China with Singapore, and so with lines to Europe and to Australia.
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