British Consulate-General,
CANTO N.
24 End
13th August, 1946.
Ref: No. 22 (1/61-11/46) (& 3 copies)
Copied to: Governor, Hong Kong, No. 68
Air Officer Commanding, Hong Kong.
Sir,
I have the honour to report that a Mr. Willard
Branch, representing Pan American Airways, has just paid a
visit to Canton.
2.
In the course of his visit he informed me that
his company intended to fly planes to Canton, and he thought
Canton was likely to become an important air centre.
3.
I asked him why it was his company's planes
were missing out Hong Kong, and he stated that there was nothing
they would like better than to fly there but considerations of
safety made it necessary to cut out Hong Kong.
4.
His company made maximum safety a cardinal factor
in their policy, in fact in the States they had flown 40,000,000
miles without accident which was more accident-free mileage than
the railroads could claim. Landing at Kaitak with a four-engined
machine, except under the best weather conditions, could not be
counted as safe. He himself was a pilot. I informed him that
so far as I knew there had been remarkably few accidents at
Kaitak.
His Majesty's Ambassador,
British Embassy,
Nanking.
I have the honour to be,
Sir,
Your Excellency's most obedient, humble servant,
(Signed) Ronald Hall
Consul-General,
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