CO129-592-9 Future Policy in Hong Kong- Port Administration 13-1-1945 - 4-3-1946 — Page 130

Mr. Gent

41

130

As

a

Harbour Planning and Port Trust for Hong Kong

Mr. Rouse and I had a long discussion with Mr. Colman recently about harbour matters and the general problems confronting us.

There are three distinct aspects of the harbour

rehabilitation:

(a) operation of the port immediately on recapture.

This is govered by a Cabinet paper on the subject which lays down the procedure. The service depts. operate through an executive committee upon which Civil Affairs is represented. [See attached summary.

(b) operation of the port immediately after the military

withdraw i.e. when the civil affairs staff take off their uniforms and reappear as a civilian government. This is a direct responsibility of the H.K. Unit for which they must plan now in London.

(c) operation of the port on full peace-time standards by

methods designed on a long term basis to meet post- war competition in the Far East in order to maintain Hong Kong against all-comers as a commercial harbour notable for economy and efficiency.

This last the Owen Report aspect and the responsibility of Mr. Colman.

2. (b) slides into (c) as soon as it can be arranged on the spot but both have to be planned now. (b) and (c) are essentially a part of the same thing and might therefore be tackled together. The planners engaged on (b) could bear a part in considering the plans and problems attached to (c); obviously the converse is also true.

3. We are endeavouring to recall Commander Newill (a past Deputy Harbour Master of Hong Kong) to London. The original intention was that he should look after harbour plans in regard to (b) of paragraph 1, and in addition be available for consultation by the Port Trust Planners. If Mr. Colman were placed in general charge of plans in regard to both (b) and (c) of paragraph 1, Commander Newill would then work alongside the not-yet-appointed Harbour Trust Secretary. When Mr. Colman joins the Unit at the beginning of next year, he could expect to have the preliminary problems ready marshalled for consideration and thereafter handle the question of the whole port operation as a unity. We have not thought this out in detail but the expectation would be that

Mr. Colman would in due course be the civil affairs'

civilian during representative on the Port Executive Committee during the

the operational phase

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military period. From the civilian government point of view the advantage would be that from start to finish, from the planning stage, through the military and immediate post- military periods to the emergence of a Port Trust, harbour affairs would be guided and shaped by one officer. Mr. Colman does not consider that this would hinder his true function of

bringing a Port Trust to life: on the contrary, he thinks he would benefit from being actively associated with everything pertaining to the Harbour from now on.

4. I agree with Mr. Colman and Mr. Rouse and

recommend

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