CO129-577-6 Hong Kong Naval Volunteer Force- training establishment 28-2-1939 - 28-2-1939 — Page 7

Copy.

No.172/0/39.

Commodore's Office,

Hong Kong.

25th January, 1939.

7

Your Excellency,

I have the honour to submit for Your Excellency's consideration a letter, with three appendices, dated 21st December, 1938, from the Commanding Officer, Hong Kong Naval Volunteer Force. It refers to the condition of the hull

of H..S. "CORNFLOWER" the estimated cost of repair of which

is $50,000.

H.M.S. "CORNFLOWER" was handed over on loan by the Admiralty to the Hong Kong Government in March 1934, the expense of normal upkeep being a Government commitment. No liability, however, attaches to the Government to effect repair of the defects now disclosed.

The Naval Sub-Committee of the Volunteer Advisory Committee met on the 12th January to consider the question in relation to other problems affecting the development and future of the Hong Kong Naval Volunteer Force.

The following problems were discussed and the

Committee views are as follows:-

1.

Is the expense of upkeep and emoluments ($23,000 per annum) entailed by Ship-Headquarters justified?

The answer was in the negative. The hazard of typhoons and tropical marine growth combined with the fact that any ship handed over by the Admiralty is in an advanced state of obsolescence outweigh the natural advantages which

It was Ship-Headquarters possess over Shore-Headquarters. considered that capitalization of the present cost of upkeep by provision of Shore-Headquarters offered the better invest-

ment.

His Excellency the Governor,

and Commander-in-Chief,

HONG KONG