CO129-622-3 War damage compensation- requisitioned railway stores and materials 19-1-1948 - 31-12-1948 — Page 173

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COPY.

Memo regarding Claims submitted to The Government of Hong Kong by The Jardine Engineering Corporation, Limited, on behalf of the Chinese Government, Ministry of Communications.

172

At the outbreak of Sino-Japanese hostilities in July 1937 the Ministry of Communications removed a consider- able quantity of rolling stock, machine shop equipment, etc. from various railways and depots in China to Kowloon and Hong Kong for safety. A large quantity of equipment was at that time in course of shipment and on order from abroad. This was landed at Hong Kong, instead of being carried on to the port of destination in China, in order that it would not fall into Japanese hands.

During 1941, when the war in the Mid-East developed, the British Government became interested in the above materials in Hong Kong as a source of supply for the Mid-Eart Campaign, so much so that the Hong Kong Government ruled that the material could not be removed from the Colony without their consent.

Actual requisitions were made by the War Supplies

Bourd during 1941 as follow:-

7/11

10/

16/

37

7 Locomotives

Wagon Materials for 600 Wagons Mild Steel Bars, Plates, etc. 149 Wagons and Components

5 Locomotives

1 "Demag" Crane.

The materials covered by these requisitions wore actually shipped by the War Supplies Board but, due to disputes about the final prices to be charged, the goods were not paid for by the far Supplies Board at the outbreak of the Pacific War on 8th Desember, 1941.

In May 1946, the Hong Kong Government requested all claims in respect of orders placed by the War "upplies Board prior to 8th December, 1941, to be registered.Acting on behalf of the Ministry of Communications, the J.E.C. in July 1946 made the following claims against the War Supplies Board for orders placed but not paid for prior to 8th December, 1941:-

Invoice No. 003 (Amended)

OOL

005

006

007

008

£35,312. 0. 0. 207,927.10. 0. 29.769. 0. 0. 67.750. 0. 0.

9,200. 0. 0.-

3.500, 0. 0.

£ 353,458.10. 0.

The Ministry of Communication contend that the action of the Hong Kong Government in ruling that all the materials had to be reserved for the purpo of meeting their needs for the prosecution of the war in the dot consti- tuted a blanket requisition of all their properties stored in Hong Kong. Further, during the last week or two before the war in the cific broke out, a large quantity of the rolling stock is actually shipped without any specific requi«ition being issued against the same.