Arthur Morse
Encyclopedia
Sir Arthur Morse (25 April 1892 - 13 May 1967) was the head of The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation during and after World War II
. He was a British banker born in Tipperary
in Ireland
. He has worked in Shanghai
, London
and Tientsin and finally many years in Hong Kong
. He rebuilt HSBC
and did much to revive Hong Kong after the war.
with the majority of branches in East Asia already in the hands of Japanese. Morse was sent to London by the then-Chief Manager of the bank Vandaleur Grayburn, to lead the bank and shift the headquarters to London to avoid the reserves
being frozen in New York
and San Francisco by the American authorities in the case of a Japanese take over in Hong Kong. On 16 December 1941, 9 days before Japanese occupation, Morse was appointed as the Commissioner and General Manager of the bank.
During the war, most of the staff in the East became prisoners of war and hundreds of them died. The Chief Manager, Sir Vandeleur Grayburn and his designated successor David C Edmondston died whilst prisoners in Hong Kong. In 1943 the London Advisory Committee were empowered to act as a Board of Directors
and he became the Chairman and Chief Manager of the bank.
In 1946, he moved the headquarters of the bank back to Hong Kong and the bank resumed its role as the central bank in Hong Kong. He involved himself in the revival of the infrastructure of the city, as well as the bank, his success in the latter task shown by the improving financial position of the bank starting a trend which continued after the end of his service in the bank in 1953.
during his stay in Hong Kong after the war.
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. He was a British banker born in Tipperary
Tipperary
Tipperary is a town and a civil parish in South Tipperary in Ireland. Its population was 4,415 at the 2006 census. It is also an ecclesiastical parish in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cashel and Emly, and is in the historical barony of Clanwilliam....
in Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
. He has worked in Shanghai
Shanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
and Tientsin and finally many years in Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
. He rebuilt HSBC
HSBC
HSBC Holdings plc is a global banking and financial services company headquartered in Canary Wharf, London, United Kingdom. it is the world's second-largest banking and financial services group and second-largest public company according to a composite measure by Forbes magazine...
and did much to revive Hong Kong after the war.
HSBC
By 1940, Hong Kong was under the threat of Japanese invasionBattle of Hong Kong
The Battle of Hong Kong took place during the Pacific campaign of World War II. It began on 8 December 1941 and ended on 25 December 1941 with Hong Kong, then a Crown colony, surrendering to the Empire of Japan.-Background:...
with the majority of branches in East Asia already in the hands of Japanese. Morse was sent to London by the then-Chief Manager of the bank Vandaleur Grayburn, to lead the bank and shift the headquarters to London to avoid the reserves
Bank reserves
Bank reserves are banks' holdings of deposits in accounts with their central bank , plus currency that is physically held in the bank's vault . The central banks of some nations set minimum reserve requirements...
being frozen in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
and San Francisco by the American authorities in the case of a Japanese take over in Hong Kong. On 16 December 1941, 9 days before Japanese occupation, Morse was appointed as the Commissioner and General Manager of the bank.
During the war, most of the staff in the East became prisoners of war and hundreds of them died. The Chief Manager, Sir Vandeleur Grayburn and his designated successor David C Edmondston died whilst prisoners in Hong Kong. In 1943 the London Advisory Committee were empowered to act as a Board of Directors
Board of directors
A board of directors is a body of elected or appointed members who jointly oversee the activities of a company or organization. Other names include board of governors, board of managers, board of regents, board of trustees, and board of visitors...
and he became the Chairman and Chief Manager of the bank.
In 1946, he moved the headquarters of the bank back to Hong Kong and the bank resumed its role as the central bank in Hong Kong. He involved himself in the revival of the infrastructure of the city, as well as the bank, his success in the latter task shown by the improving financial position of the bank starting a trend which continued after the end of his service in the bank in 1953.
Public services
Arthur Morse has participated many public bodies in Hong Kong and was an unofficial member of the Executive Council of Hong KongExecutive Council of Hong Kong
The Executive Council of Hong Kong is a core policy-making organ in the executive branch of the government of Hong Kong.. The Chief Executive of Hong Kong serves as its President.The Executive Council normally meets once a week...
during his stay in Hong Kong after the war.
Places and buildings named after him
- Morse ParkMorse ParkMorse Park , occupies 15.8 hectares, is an urban park located in Wong Tai Sin in Kowloon.It was competed in 1967. The Park was named after Sir Arthur Morse , the head of The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation during and after World War II.-History:The Hong Kong Golden Jubilee Jamborette ,...
- Morse Hut and Morse House, headquarters of The Scout Association of Hong KongThe Scout Association of Hong KongThe Scout Association of Hong Kong is the overall Scouting organization in Hong Kong. After the first Scouting initiatives in 1909, the Hong Kong branch of The Scout Association of the United Kingdom was started in 1914 by registering the St. Joseph's College Scout Group, and was formally...