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#13: 56°E, 21:49!N.)
It appears from 16509/85 that the Chinese Government is to make an annual contribution (nominal) of $750 towards the maintenance of the lighthouse. I cannot find that any such arrangement has been made now, nor does the arrangement appear to have been definitely concluded.
It seems to me to require more demonstration than we have had so far as to whether the advantages of the Defence of the Colony are such that would be effected by the present proposal, which amounts to nothing more or less than the annexation of a lighthouse built on a small rock. (See page 3 of the Harbour Master's memo attached to 1373/88).
In order to get information from it, it was pointed out that international obligations would preclude the cable being used to advise of the risk, which offers half the rock being used for some time. On that rock we have been warned of the approach of a hostile squadron.
The Rock is Chinese territory, and the cable itself would offer a foothold to such a boundary on the Great Northern and Eastern Tel. Cos., winter on 20117/91, and the property of the Colonial Government.
I should be sorry to imagine that the use of the cable would not be sufficient to compensate for the diplomatic friction and possible expense that must attend its requisition. It is avowedly only required for defence - in order to signal to hostile forces. It is outside the new boundary, and I doubt the difficulty arising from a white lighthouse on Chinese territory.
Captain the A.M. Admiralty, and the W.O. are aware (Sir John Ardagh) 334/88 that the Island is "a barren uninhabited rock of only a few square extent." The Admiralty in 1886 objected to a proposal for electric communications between the Raffles lighthouse and Singapore on the ground that "it would destroy the neutral character of the lighthouse, for its destruction in time of war would give an enemy an advantage."
I do not think we should even trouble the F.O. with this, but simply reply that Mr. Chamberlain is not prepared to reopen the question of the boundaries of the extended territory.
A.F. 14/8
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It has, I think, been decided that the question of the ...
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