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decisions except those of high policy are taken by a Committee under the Chairmanship of Admiral Harcourt's Chief of Staff (Captain Clifford, R.N.,) which has a daily meeting attended by the
Chief Civil Affairs Officer, Ministry of War Transport Representative and representatives of the various Service organisations in the Colony. I attended the meetings of the Committee during my visit and learned much about the problems, big and petty, which face these people, many of them amateurs in the realm of colonial administration. The team spirit is excellent but lack of staff on the civil side must soon adversely affect efficiency.
The steps taken on the financial side to set up shop had, I felt, been markedly successful and I think the Colony has a great chance to take a position in the Far East out of all proportion either to its size or to the amount the United Kingdom needs to contribute in the initial stage. If it can be shown that here is a soundly based, efficiently run centre, trade will flock there and Hong Kong will be off to a far better start than any Chinese port. To do this, present shortages must be remedied. I have already mentioned shortage of staff: other shortages are fuel and shipping and, of course, commodities to set up such manufactures as the island can undertake and the entrepot trade it has always had. I do not think food will provide a problem provided trade can be got going. These matters are more fully discussed in the attached notes; but I am sure there is a big opportunity here and if I personally were so unfortunate as to have business interests in the Far East, it is upon Hong Kong that I would concentrate in my effort to get going again.
(Signed)G.A.W.5/10.
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