19 MARCH 1920 Report to Comptroller-General, Department of Overseas Trade, London. From the British Commercial Secretary, Hongkong. Provisional Starting and Landing Places – Aeroplanes. The rugged nature of the country, both on the island of Hong Kong and in the New Territory would render the provision of starting and landing places for aeroplanes extremely difficult. I understand that Colonel Smallwood, the representative in China of the Handley Page Company, who recently visited the Colony, was very unfavourably impressed with local conditions in this respect. Provisional Starting and Landing Places – Seaplanes. As regards seaplanes the position is much better, the harbour affording ample space for starting and landing. The selection of a Seaplane Base affording adequate protection from the typhoons and other violent storms which are not uncommon in this region at certain seasons would, however, be a far from easy problem and would demand very careful investigation by experts. Existing Air Services. None. Prospects for Air Services for Mail or Passenger Traffic. The prospect of deriving a substantial revenue from air mail services having Hong Kong as their base is far from favourable. Even in the case of the most promising route, that from Hong Kong to Shanghai, I am informed by the Postmaster General of this Colony that the total volume of mail matter originating in Hong Kong and destined for Shanghai and North China is not much in excess of 400lbs. weight per week, and that the bulk of this mail is certainly not of a nature to bear any large additional fee for despatch by aeroplane. It is true that telegraphic delays and the lack of a longdistance telephone are arguments in favour of an air mail service between the above ports, but as most of the important firms in this country run their business in North and South China more or less independently, the Shanghai office controlling the former and the office in Hong Kong the latter, the volume of trade correspondence passing between the two ports is neither very great nor, as a rule, of a very urgent nature. As regards Chinese ports nearer to Hong Kong, the amount of mail likely to be carried at the relatively high rates that would necessarily be charged would, in the opinion of the Postmaster General, be negligible. As regards the conveyance of passengers, I find a good deal of scepticism amongst business men here as to the likelihood, under present conditions and until more confidence in the safety of air travel has been established, of any considerable and steady traffic on the longer routes, such as that between Hong Kong and Shanghai. In the case of short journeys, such as that referred to in the following
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