CO129-622-3 War damage compensation- requisitioned railway stores and materials 19-1-1948 - 31-12-1948 — Page 77

CHINESE MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS CLAIM AGAINST THE BRITISH AND HONGKONG GOVERNMENTS.

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1.

At the end of 1940 there was lying in Hongkong a considerable quantity of railway material of all kinds which was the property of the Chinese Ministry of Communications.

2. During 1941 the British Government became interested

in the railway material in Hongkong as a source of supply for the Midle East and the Hongkong Government banned its removal without their prior consent.

3.

Certain of the material, principally locomotives, wagons and wagon components, were actually requisitioned by the British Government and shipped away from Hongkong. The dispute about prices to be paid was in progress when the Pacific War broke out. In May 1946 the Hongkong Government invited the submission of claims for requisitioned materials, and The Jardine Engineering

Corporation, Ltd., on behalf of the Ministry of Communications lodged claims amounting to £353,458.

4. The remaining material stored in Hongkong, but not actually requisitioned, fell into the hands of the Japanese at the outbreak of the Pacific War and the Ministry of Communications contend that the previous ban on the removal constituted a blanket requisition. In 1946 a Claim of £942,449 for material in Hongkong when the Japanese took the Island was also submitted to the Hongkong Government by The Jardine Engineering Corporation, Ltd.,

5.

The Hongkong Government passed all claims to the Colonial Office which, in turn, passed them to the War Office, where they are now being considered.

17th February, 1948.

See F 3573/154/10.

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