70 years ago: Hong Kong's wartime diaries

Since we have been in this camp Y and I have often discussed our future plans – assuming we are both still intact when the war ends. I can either stay on here in the Government or try for private practice here or return to England and endeavour to get a partnership there. The advantage in the first scheme is that it is good and safe and should economic depression follow the war, it would be a good job to have. However, I had never intended to remain long in Government employ as I consider one easily gets in a rut and loses initiative, and the work then becomes stultifying and dull. I think it chiefly the fault of the system, for the work itself can be very interesting and the buildings large and quite important at times. However, one never becomes more than a cog in the machine. So apart from the accompanying security of such a job I would rather go into private practice here.

Business circles here predict boom years and rapid development in HK and it is certain there will be tremendous opportunities for architects and I have not the least doubt I should make most money in this way unless depression follows. However, Y and I are loathe to settle down in HK permanently. It is an easy life and a comfortable one, but I always have the feeling that to live here permanently would be to miss so much – this always seems something of a backwater compared to all that goes on in England – even though a sojourn of a few years duration is fascinating. So the third alternative is to try and get a decent job in England where we should see more of our families; where one would keep in touch with ones friends, where I should undoubtably earn much less and where Y would have to do much more housework! Of course, air travel after the war will probably revolutionise transport and contact between East and West, and make life in the East far less cut off than it is now.

I realise what opportunities there are here for a young English architect with local knowledge and experience. Some time last autumn I was approached by Oscar Eager with a view to going into private practice with him. He is general Manager of Hong Kong Land Investment Co Ltd., the biggest land and property owners in HK (at any rate, amongst the British contingent). They are connected with Jardine’s and their board of directors, include most of the big business men of the Colony. The company owns many valuable sites in the centre of the city and goes in for commercial rather than domestic property. Up to now this company has had all its buildings designed by private architects and latterly John Potter had been doing most of their work for them. Oscar Eager is an estate agent and has no qualifications as an architect and little knowledge of building but he is an astute business man and forsees the possibilities for a private firm of architects who had the solid backing of the HK Land Investment Co., but who were established as a private and separate firm and not as a subsidiary branch of the Land Investment Co.

Before the Anglo-Japanese war here, there were, in his opinion, only two architects here in private practice who were really alive and go ahead; one was John Potter of Lee and Orange and the other, Arthur Ritchie of Palmer and Turner. He said that these two realised that if they could get together they would have HK at their feet as far as things architectural were concerned. Well, poor old John was killed out here at Stanley and Palmer and Turners branch in HK closed down just before the blitz and Ritchie went to India. Mr Eager therefore believes that there is a golden opportunity awaiting any young architect  with initiative; and, in addition, with all the work that the Land Investment Co., would put his way it certainly is an outstanding chance.

Well, to put it shortly, he gave me the chance of stepping into this marvellous job. His outline suggestions were: that we should establish a firm to be known as Eager and Charter, Architects, Civil Engineers and Estate Agents; that the partnership should undergo a 3 or 6 months probationary period; that for the next five years I should receive a minimum guaranteed salary of HK$1,500 per month (about 1125 Sterling per annum (pdv £50,600) plus 33% profits and that thereafter profits would be shared on a 50% basis. He had put the proposition to some of his directors who are here in camp and he said they approved. He had evidently satisfied himself about my work. He said that my 3 years local experience would be invaluable and that it would be far more difficult for him to start with a new man from home (he went so far as to say that unless I cared to take the job he would have to go to England and try to find a suitable man) in fact he was very frank and open and let me see that he was anxious for me to fall in with his suggestions. He also approved of Yvonne who, he said, would be an asset socially! In fact he seemed to have studied the situation from all angles, for he said he considered we were both good mixers and would get on well amongst both Europeans and Chinese, and that apparently, is as important out here as being a good architect! He gave me a fortnight in which to think it over. It would mean starting work straight away after the war here, and that put me in a slightly awkward position, for it might mean forfeiting any Government pay that may have accrued during internment here; it also meant ratting on the PWD at a time when they would urgently need every available architect.

However, I suppose Eager would be prepared to make good the first loss and in the second place one has to look after one’s own interests, I suppose. Well, as may be imagined, Y and I talked it over a good deal. There were one or two things about the proposition that I did not like. Firstly, I did not like the idea of being mixed up with Civil Engineering and Land Agency, particularly the last profession. I know if I wanted to build a house or a block of offices I would choose a firm of architects pure and simple rather than a firm who claimed to deal in all and sundry branches of the building trade – just as, if I wanted my eyes tested, I would rather go to an oculist than to an optician with extra qualifications. I should not so much mind combining with a civil engineer so long as he was a properly qualified man. In other words, I think in the long run it would be detrimental to my practice and name as an architect. Secondly, as the practice grew, the lion’s share of the work would undoubtably fall to the architect and old Oscar Eager would be ‘sitting pretty’ and riding comfortably along! Not that I undervalue his business connections or am forgetful of the opening and chance he is making. But chiefly, it would mean settling definitely in Hong Kong and doing all my work here. It was that which finally decided us against it. I told O.E. that the prospect tempted me very much and that I would very much like to have say 3 years of it, but would want to be able to leave after that period if I wanted to, and return to England.