CO129-571-15 Sino-Japanese War- manufacture and import of aircraft to China 18-1-1938 - 5-1-1939 — Page 87

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DODWELL AND COMPANY LIMITED.

Branches:

HONG KONG

CANTON FOOCHOW

SLANGHAI & HANKOW CHINA

YOKOH/ IA KOBE TOKIO & NAGOYA JAPAN

COLOMBO CEYLON

NEW YORK SAN FRANCISCO

LOS ANGELES

& SEATTLE U.S.A VANCOUVER B.C

BARRY & DODWELL LTP

CHUNG KINGCHINA

Head Office

24 ST MARY AXE LONDON E C⋅ 3

Telegrams:

•

"CELTICISM STOCK.LONDON.

Telephone Nos:

AVENUE 5861 (4 LINES)

LONDON,

G.E.J.Gent, Esq., D.S.0., 0.B.E.

0.B.E., M.C., The Colonial Office,

Downing Street, S.W.

Codes Used:

SCOTT'S CODE 10TH EDITION (BENTLEY'S SECTION)

A.B.C. CODE 6TH EDITION BENTLEY'S COMPLETE PHRASE CODE BENTLEY'S SECOND PHRASE CODE

E.C. 3.

ACME CODE

UNIVERSAL TRADE CODE BIRCHWOOD CODE

BOE CODE

LOMBARD CODE (CODE SERVICES)

CALPAC CODE PRIVATE CODES

16th November, 1938.

Dear Mr. Gent,

You may recollect an interview I had with you and Sir Henry Moore last June in connection with a proposal to erect an aeroplane factory at Hongkong. H.1.Government at that time were unable to give official approval to the scheme inasmuch as they feared it would be regarded as a provocative act by Japan, ostensibly for the purpose of supplying munitions to China. This in spite of the fact that the main object behind the establishment of such a factory was to provide a source from which aeroplanes could be supplied to the Air Force of Great Britain or the Dominions in a shorter space of time than could be guaranteed by factories in this country, Canada or the United States, and at a lesser cost. I was given to understand that H.E.The Governor of Hongkong had consulted Air-Marshall Sir Edward Ellington before forwarding his despatch on the subject and that, as far as the Air Ministry was concerned, the idea would probably be looked upon with favour.

To the ordinary civilian, the need for further sources of supply of aircraft appears as urgent now as it did some months ago, and my object in writing is to ask whether there is any prospect of the Colonial Office decision of last June being reviewed in the light of recent happenings. The gateway, Hongkong/ Canton, has to all intents and purposes been closed, so possibly the objection formerly advanced no longer holds?

I

Might I call on you for an informal discussion? have an appointment at the Foreign Office at 11 a.m. on Friday,