COLONEL WILLAN said there was one other point
The Company
which required consideration.
were negotiating to take over communications in
China, including Shanghai, and if the Hong Kong
Government insisted on carrying on their own
communications they might have difficulty in obtaining
connection with the Company in Shanghai,
MR. VERNON observed that the general feeling
of the Committee appeared to be that it was undesirable
to give Hong Kong a free hand and that perhaps the
line to be taken would be to ask the Colony to
state their full requirements and then to approach
the Company and ask if they were ready to meet the
requirements asked for without delay.
MR. ROBINSON suggested that the Company might
be approached and asked if they were prepared to meet
the immediate requirements forthwith, and the Governor
be informed accordingly and asked what further
extensions he desired.
He pointed out that there
was a strategic cable to Hong Kong, and if Hong Kong
were given a free hand the inducement to the Company to
retain that cable for non-strategic purposes would be lessened.
CAPTAIN MURRAY said he thought it was essential to
put the Company in a strong position vis-à-vis foreign
competition, and if all the communications were vested
in a single interest it considerably strengthened the
Company's position in the Far East. From an Admiralty
point of view they would very much like to see a high
power link between Hong Kong and Singapore as it was
conceivable the Japanese might cut the cable.
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