3, Lombard Street, London E.C. 3. 16 Feby. 1901.
The Right Hon. Joseph Chamberlain
Secretary of State for the Colonies
Downing Street
Sir,
I have received by cable a communication from Hongkong requesting me, on behalf of the Hongkong and Whampoa Dock Company, to represent the very serious loss the business of the Colony is sustaining by delay in constructing a new Dock which is urgently required to meet the wants of the Port.
The difficulty complained of is the condition attached to the sale of land for the purposes; ii) that the British Fleet must have preferential rights of docking at any time it is considered reasonable unless there were a prospect of war, when it could not be so regarded and would naturally be an acceptable condition; but two years of delay have taken place over negotiations, and now it is urgent to secure the land.
I would suggest as a probable satisfactory solution that a stipulation should be made that construction may be proceeded with. It is His Majesty's