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NOTHING
ΤΟ
BE
WRITTEN
IN
THIS
MARGIN.
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(a) At the time of its cession in 1842 Hong Kong
was a desolate island with no inhabitants
except a few fishermen.
British enterprise
and good government have built it up to be
one of the great seaports of the world, with a
population of nearly a million inhabitants.
(b) With the removal of the protection afforded
by extra-territoriality and a probability of
unsettled conditions in China for some years
after the war, Hong Kong is likely to acquire
increasing importance and value as a base from
which British merchants and industrialists
can operate in China.
(c) Having lost Hong Kong to the enemy, it is a
point of national honour for us to recover it,
7.
and restore it to its normal state of order
and prosperity.
The most recent official statement on His
Majesty's Government's policy towards Hong Kong
was made by Mr. Attlee, then Deputy Prime
Minister, on November 8th, 1944, in reply to a
question in the House of Commons by Mr. Astør
as to whether Hong Kong or any other part of the
Empire was excluded from the Prime Minister's
declaration that it was not proposed to liquidate
the British Empire. Mr. Attlee replied:-
"No part of the British Empire or Commonwealth
of Nations was excluded from the scope of the
declaration referred to."
.tt.
The following supplementary question was then
put by Mr. Astor:
"While expressing great pleasure that this
declaration has come from the Leader of the Labour
Party, may I ask him whether all encouragement
will now be given to British firms to prepare
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plans/
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