(C O P Y).
From General Officer Commanding, in China.
To His Excellency, the Governor, Hongkong.
Sir,
22486
609
Head Quarters.
Hongkong, 24th August, 1898.
In reply to Your Excellency's letter of the 6th instant No.99/G. I have the honour to forward for Your Excellency's information a copy of War Office letter Hongkong 5/4336 of 8/2/96, by which it will be seen that the War Department claim the right of user over the garden lots at Kowloon, the Military Reserve rights of which it is proposed to surrender in exchange for similar rights on the hill tops and for this reason the War Department claim that the Colonial Office Circular of 30th December 1894 is directly intended to apply to these lands.
The letter from the Colonial Office to the Under Secretary of State for War No.19100/95 dated 21st October 1895 also supports this view.
I have to...
(Sd). W. Black.
Major-General.