CO129-539-13 Proposed transfer of Government Wireless Service to Imperial and International Communications Ltd. 11-4-1932 - 17-6-1933 — Page 147

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ANNEXURE TO ENCLOSURE NO

I.

The Ministry of Communications, Tokyo, was

approached as early as November 1927, by the Postmaster-

General of the Government of Hongkong with a view to

establishing a direct wireless service between Hongkong

and Japan. The former eagerly welcomed the proposition,

but was obliged to answer, with regret, that owing to the

absence of a wireless station available for the said

service, it desired to let the matter stand over until a

station suitable for the purpose, then under contemplation

by the Japan Wireless Telegraphy Co. Ltd., would be com-

pleted. In July 1931, the construction of the said wireless

station having been completed and the equipment and

preparation on both sides consummated, communications were

experimentally exchanged, at the instance of the Government

of Hongkong, between the stations in Hongkong and Tokyo.

The result of the experiment was satisfactory and portended

the possibility of regular service. Encouraged by this

experiment the Ministry of Communications intimated on

September 22nd 1931 their wish to enter into negotiation

as to the probable date of inauguration, rate, etc., but

the Government of Hongkong asked for a postponement for a

month until the return to post of an electric engineer in

charge. On October 15th, when the necessary preparations

were being made on the part of the Japanese authorities

concerned end the Wireless Station, the Government

of Hongkong wired the former to the effect that, owing to

uncertainty regarding the future of radio-telegraph

administration in Hongkong, they regretted that it would be

inadvisable then to institute direct wireless service

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