43
Enclosure No.2
5.
3
My P/L despatch No. 118 of August 14th, 1937 to
Peking transmitted a copy of a despatch addressed to
H.E. the Officer Administering the Government, Hongkong,
regarding a conversation with Mr. E. P. Goodrich (to whom
I shall refer below) in connection with co-operation
between the Government of Hongkong and the Whampoa Port
Development administration. My despatch No. 124 of
September 10th 1937 addressed to Peking transmitted the
reply of the Hongkong Government.
6.
The main purpose of this despatch is to transmit
a copy of a very interesting lecture given by Mr. Goodrich
on September 8th 1937, which has since been published in
the press, regarding the Whampoa Port Development scheme
as it stood at the time of his lecture. As to the value
of Mr. Goodrich's report, Mr. Ernest P. Goodrich "special technical adviser to the Whampoa Port Development administration" (as it was then called)
designed the City
of Nanking. He was engaged by the Chinese Government
for the Whampoa scheme at a monthly salary of US$5,000
He is presumably the refore an engineer in his own line of
worldwide reputation. As his opinion in regard to the feasi
bility of the development of Whampoa as a first-class port differs materially from that of Mr. Scott, (who in turn
voiced Hongkong expert opinion), and as it has a possible
bearing on the future of Hongkong, it should be interesting
to ascertain either from His Majesty's Commercial Councillor
at Washington or from His Majesty's Consul-General at New
York, the reputation which Mr. Goodrich holds among engineer
experts in his own country. I understand that he practises
as a consulting engineer in New York City. I found him a
pleasant companion, and he was most friendly and helpful in
all his dealings with me.
7.
Mr. Goodrich arrived in Canton on June 8th 1937
on a three month's contract.
(Eventually he remained a
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.