CO129-622-4 War damage compensation- requisitioned railway stores and materials 28-1-1949 - 16-2-1950 — Page 34

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THE JARDINE ENGINEERING CORPORATION, LIMITED.

Office Address 14-16 Pedder St.,

Hong Kong, 29th July, 1946.

The Accountant General,

Government of Hong Kong,

Prince's Building,

HONG KONG

Dear Sir,

Claims in respect of Materials, etc. the Property of the Chinese Government, Ministry of Communications, detained in Hong Kong by order of the Hong Kong Government during 1941.

With reference to our letters of 28th May, 22nd and 24th June in which we registered claims in respect of orders placed by the War Supplies Board prior to 8th December, for and on behalf of the Chinese Government, Ministry of

1941, Communications, we have now been instructed by the Ministry of Communications to register two additional claims. Explanatory notes in support of the validity of these claims are given here- under.

During 1941 when the war in the Mid-East developed, the British Government became very interested in the stocks of railway materials in Hong Kong as a rapid source of supply for the campaign in the Mid-East. This source of supply was so important that the Hong Kong Government ruled that all the materials must be reserved for them, to be requisitioned against as and when required, also that none of the materials could be removed from the Colony without their consent.

Specific requisitions against part of these materials was made by the War Supplies Board during 1941, as per the claims already registered with you, but a large proportion still remained in Hong Kong prior to the outbreak of the Pacific War.

The Ministry of Communications contend that the action of the Hong Kong Government in ruling that all the materials must be reserved for the purpose of meeting their needs for the prosecution of the war in the Mid-East constituted a blanket requisition of all the materials. Further, during the last week or two before the war in the Pacific broke out, a large quantity