CO129-578-5 Development of Whampoa Port 13-12-1938 - 11-5-1939 — Page 2

C. I. ''W'

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No. 22 on the

1937 file.

cont. (2) -13/12/38

Its. copies of recent despatches from Canton re proposed development of the port of phampon by the

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6 Japanese.

+ 13557/18343/10 - 5/1/39

Its copies of despatches from Canton

Whampoa port development.

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We had already been informed that contracts

had been placed with the Netherlands Harbour Works for

the construction of wharves at Whampoa and for the

bors

dredging of first and second raatra in the Pearl

River to a depth of 271⁄2 feet and width 130 meters.

The Consul General at Canton reports in paragraph 4

how much of the work had been completed by August,

1938, and states that in that month the agreement

with the Netherlands Harbour Works was suspended

for the duration of hostilities.

It is interesting to note from the enclosed

address made the Canton Rotary Club in September,

1937 by Mr. Goodrich, the special technical adviser

of the Whampoa Development Scheme, that this

American engineer, who apparently enjoys a

considerable reputation, estimated that the port

would eventually handle about half as much shipping

tonnage as Shanghai or Hong Kong. Plans had apparently

already been drawn up for the construction of a air port

harbeur as an accessory to the port. Mr. Goodrich's

opinion as to the feasibility of the development of

Whampoa as a first class port thus differs materially

from that of Mr. Scott (enclosure 1), and this fact

is of some interest in as much as Mr. Goodrich thought

the scheme fantastic on arrival, but subsequently

changed his view completely.

The