INWARD TELEGRAM
TO THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE COLONIES
53637
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7
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JUL
ㄠˇ
K
1949
IN
FROM HONG KONG (Sir A. Grantham)
27th June 1949 K. 27th
$7
18 09.45 hrs.
(Telegram delayed; received
undecypherable)
No. 634 Secret
(6) (4)
25th May:
1,850,
i
population the wha carny (Island + hair end) ainland).
Your telegram No. 756 and Sidebotham's letter of
Water supply in an emergency.
Position is broadly as described in Sidebotham's paragraph 2 but it must be noted that even if quantity was sufficient for drinking purposes there is no means of
It is only possible to reserving it solely for this use. rentrict hours of supply for all purposes (with corresponding imrease in fire danger).
2.
Am advised that salt extraction is not feasible. It was attempted at Gibraltar by the Royal Navy during the 1939-45 war but was on a very small scale and vory expensive, Queetion of Boler padlation as applied to condensation of Beowater has been spoken of but so far as is known no experiments have yet been attempted.
3.
Only profitable expedient in situation envisaged
is restriction of hours of supply. Much would depend of the time of the year at which the problem arose but if water supply from the New Territories falled at the moat inconvenient perină (ead of March) Island reservoirs would normally be holding about 810 inillion gallons 1.6 10 gallons per head of tresen population i.e about 1,85,000 for 44 days. Technically however it would not be feasible to supply na uch as 10 80:11ons per head for Kowloon as maine are not designed for this and probably only about 3 gallons per hond could be
This could be supplemented to a supplied from the Island. vely limited extent by water from wells usually used for flushing. This would be brackish or highly polluted and would
Hours of supply in Hong Kong and require to be boiled.
Kowloon would have to be ataggered and would probably be
You may also wish, to limited to four hours daily for euch. refer to Jackson's paper forwarded to you with my confidentia).
(16) on '48. despatch No. 308 of 1948.
X
(Corrections received 30th June)
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