CO129-538-1 Hong Kong University 31-12-1931 - 6-8-1932 — Page 263

-12a-

370

Footnote to Page 12, line 23 (end of paragraph ending with

the word "indemnity".)

As an example of the "productive enterprises" which are

contemplated, may be cited the Whampoa Deep-water Harbour

scheme. The following account of it is taken from The Times

of December 31st, 1931.

"The plans for a deep-water harbour at Whampoa are

perhaps the most ambitious of Canton's dreams. The

port will cost $45,000,000 and take ten years to

build. It will be 35ft deep and "accommodate the

largest ocean steamers", though it is twenty miles

up river. There will be nine wharves 700 ft. long

and 150 ft. wide, with all the most modern equip-

ment.

The most expensive part of the work is to

be the dredging of the river, which alone will cost

nearly $25,000,000. Political troubles have delayed the scheme, but it is now announced that a beginning is to be made. When the survey has been completed, the first part of the work will be carried out at a cost of $3,000,000, which, according to the Canton newspapers, will be made available from the British Boxer Indemnity Fund."

A significant point, not referred to in this announce- ment, is that the Chinese hope and intend to make Whampoa the successful rival of Hong Kong as a great port, and thus to make Canton economically independent of the British colony. From the Chinese standpoint this is no doubt a laudable ambition. But it seems to show a strange (or must we say typical ?) lack of sportsmanship or graciousness on the part of the Chinese to make use of large sums of money presented to them by the british taxpayer for the purpose of carrying out an enterprise which is expressly directed against the prosperity of a British colony. The scheme