CO129-571-15 Sino-Japanese War- manufacture and import of aircraft to China 18-1-1938 - 5-1-1939 — Page 192

Enclosure No.3.

C.R.C.C.No.X/16363(G).

Headquarters,

China Command,

Hong Kong,

2nd February, 1938.

192

Your Excellency,

By your direction I am submitting the following

minute on the question of a proposal to build an aircraft

factory in or near KOWLOON.

When the question was first referred to me on

a C.S.O. File in an Executive Council bag, the site for the

factory was described as "adjacent to KAI TAK Airport" (as far as memory serves), meaning "having direct access to the

aerodrome". Further, the information showed that the output

would be at the rate of 300 single engine machines per annum: this implied probably a military fighter aircraft.

2.

In view of these conditions, I considered the

following to be adequate reasons for opposing the proposals. (a) The close proximity to a Service establishment of

an organisation containing skilled and often traitorous personnel increases the liability of

the limited defence resources of the Colony -

(b)

particularly as the major portion of this

liability will fall on the Army, which is responsible for the protection of that establishment against

agression or mass sabotage.

-

In an already congested flying area - civil and

military demanding flying facilities adds to present difficulties both on the ground and in the air.

the addition of a large factory

(c)

The continued use of KAI TAK Airport in War will

be further endangered by the close proximity of what, the enemy may regard as an additional military