of the
the correspondence and the 7:0.
See 16480
t
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to the War Office
CPL
27 June
alme
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Any further communication on this
subject should be addressed to--
The Under Secretary of State,
War Office,
Pall Mall,
and the following number quoted.
083 3562
Sir,
Secret
16492/200
London, S.W.
War Office,
London, S.W.
27 June 1899.
In reply to your letter of the 9th instant, respecting
the despatch of an officer from Hong Kong to the island of
Amoy, to advise as to the improvement of the defences of
that place, I am desired by the Secretary of State for War
to inform you that he concurs with Sir H. Blake in thinking
it desirable to send an Engineer officer thither.
With respect, however, to the instructions which should
be given to His Excellency on the subject, there are two
points which, in Lord Lansdowne's opinion, might be borne
in mind. One is the desirability of learning the exact
state of the defences of Amoy as they now are and the best
manner of improving them, while the other is the desirability
of preventing valuable schemes, drawn up by British officers,
from falling into the hands of others, who might,
conceivably, endeavour to turn them to our disadvantage.
The Under Secretary of State
Colonial Office.
With