CO129-592-9 Future Policy in Hong Kong- Port Administration 13-1-1945 - 4-3-1946 — Page 160

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Matters arising from my meeting with Mr. C. J.

Colman at Basra on 31st May, 1945.

Mr. Colman informed me that, in the opinion of the Ambassador, it was most unlikely that a treaty could be

confidential negotiated with Irak to cover the conservancy issue in the

& for Co. only.

manner desired by H.M.G. One may assume, therefore, that the Foreign Office and M.W.T. will desire Colman to remain in Irak as long as possible. Colman, however, told me that he has no intention whatever of remaining in Irak when his present contract expires at the end of the year.

We appear, therefore, to be free to go ahead with our plans for Colman; it will be for the Foreign Office and M.W.T. to consider the question of a successor for him. Colman also informed me that he expects to be in England on the 15th of this month, and he made it clear that he was interested in the proposal that he should go to Hong Kong. He would not, however, wish to go for more than say three years.

I understood from Colman that if his appointment were made he would agree to direct a Port Planning Unit for Hong Kong during the year of his stay in this country.

period

It seems to me that the situation is as follows:-

(1) The fundamental policy for Hong Kong has already been decided in the acceptance of the Owen Report.

in

(2) Colman's first duty will be to devise and initiate plans for the restoration of harbour facilities Hong Kong in accordance with Sir David Owen's recommendations. This seems to me to involve creating in broad outline a programme of development which will fit in with the long term needs of the Port. Colman will need the guidance of men with local knowledge for the purpose, and among these men should be included shipping interests with local knowledge. I suggest that guidance should best be given him by the creation of a Hong Kong Harbour Board Committee on which would serve representatives of the Colonial Office, for the

The time being, and of the future Hong Kong Government. shipping interests could well be represented by such obvious people as the Kesicks, the Swires and by someone from the ocean going Steamship Companies which use the port.

(3) In the first instance it will clearly be necessary for the future Harbour Board itself to undertake the reconstruction and operation of certain wharves, as the private companies which in the future may be expected to do so are, to the best of my knowledge, unable to be ready in time for the arrival of the first cargoes after the military phase. Any wharves so constructed and operated could, of course, be leased to private enterprise if the future Harbour Board thought fit at any convenient time.

(4) There is no way of surmounting entirely the difficulties which must arise from the need for Colman to return to Iraq for some months. I suggest that they can best be mitigated by appointing a suitable Secretary General for the Harbour Board committee, who could refer to Colman the advice of the committee, and place before it Colman's views. This official need not, I think, be a person with intimate knowledge of port working, but it is obviously desirable that he should be an administrator of standing. I see no need for him to be a full time servant of Colman's unit. Edwin/

Mr.

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