CO129-571-15 Sino-Japanese War- manufacture and import of aircraft to China 18-1-1938 - 5-1-1939 — Page 156

NOK

CONFIDENTIAL.

AIR MAIL.

Cepure Corylon 61.

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GOVERNMENT HOUSE,

HONG KONG,

5th May, 1938.

18

Sir,

I have the honour to refer to my

confidential despatch of the 5th of February, 1938,

on the subject of a proposal to erect an aeroplane

factory in this Colony to which a reply is awaited.

2.

On the 2nd of May, 1938, a very similar

application was received from a representative of

the Douglas Aircraft Company, although in this case

there was little more than a formal enquiry as to

the policy of this Government should the proposal

take shape. The letter states that such a factory,

with an initial capacity to manufacture from sixty

to one hundred aeroplanes a year, would not be established for the exclusive purpose of providing the Chinese Government with military aircraft but

as a permanent enterprise to participate in the

commercial and military purchases of all countries

in this part of the world.

THE RIGHT HONOURABLE

W.G.A. ORMSBY-GORE, P.C., M.P.,

&c.

&C.,

&C.,