Sessional_Paper_1946 — Page 30

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3. The following estimates of arrivals between Feb. '46 and Feb. '47 have been made by the Secretariat:-

(a) European & American business men

2,000 (The Chairman of the Com- mittee thinks this figure far too low and suggests 7 or 8,000).

British Govt. servants (up to Apr. '46) Portuguese ex Macao (incl. families) Indians ex Macao Chinese

150

1,000

700

(NOT KNOWN) No restrictions contemplated.

(b) Some 300 C.A.S. and other European personnel are expected to leave the

Colony during the above period.

4. On 31 Mar. approx. 487 additional people could have been accommodated in the main hotels, using camp beds. This assumes that additional camp beds, sheets, pillows and blankets, etc., are provided. If we assume that 200 of present hotel residents will within the next few months either move on or move into private houses, flats or messes it is evident that existing hotel accommodation will not hold even 50% of the anticipated European arrivals, and this at the lowest estimate of what those arrivals are likely to be.

It should be realized that many landlords already have long lists of applicants for houses or flats in anticipation of their eventual derequisition and that similar lists are likely to be instituted in respect of repaired or newly constructed buildings. New arrivals from home will thus find it difficult to obtain private accommodation as the bulk will be already bespoke to local residents. It is recommended that these aspects of the situation should be brought to the notice of Govt. Depts. and European business firms and that Govt. pressure should be brought to bear to induce them to obtain accommodation in advance of the arrival of their staffs and to arrange for it to be furnished and guarded by watchmen. Such pressure might take the form of

5.

(i) notifying firms that Govt. will accommodate in hotels and hostels only a given percentage of the staff of each firm and that numbers in excess of this percentage will not be permitted to return UNLESS they have private accommodation to go to immediately they arrive.

(ii) Limiting the entry of women and children to those who have private accommodation, other than in hotels, available to them on arrival. To induce action, wide publicity to these measures will be necessary at an early date.

(a) From the reports put in by the services it is evident that no large scale

derequisition of premises can be expected in the near future.

Factors such as eventual size of garrison, relief by Civil Police of detachments now doing Police work, dates of departure of existing organi- zations who are not normally borne on any peace establishment, dates of arrival of building material and huts, receipt of W.D. approval to new building projects, all affect the problem and make it impossible for services to commit themselves, at this stage, to definite promises of large scale releases of premises.

(b) Some 850 Huts from Australia and ALFSEA are expected to arrive in the Colony soon. The bulk of these will be used to provide accommodation.

for :-

(i) Troops now under canvas (incl. NABCATCHER)

(ii) Incoming troops who will be stationed in the New Territories.

(iii) Troops now under canvas employed on construction of PING SHAN

& KAI TAK aerodromes.

No large scale release of property will accrue from the erection of these huts.

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