359
it was communicated by the Coronation Committee, and the
D
9.
feeling was also widely expressed that the name of the 'King's
Park' would be the most appropriate that could be bestowed.
As General Officer Commanding I was most
You
10452
anxious that the deliberately expressed hope of the whole
British community of Hongkong expressed not only through
the medium of the public press but also by the Unofficial
Members of Council in person should be furthered as far as
possible by the Military Authorities, provided that some fair
and amicable arrangement could be arrived at by which the
Colonial Government would give the Military Authorities an
equitable exchange for the rights surrendered. I was satisfied,
before telegraphing to you on the 28th April, that the Colo-
nial Government was proposed to treat the matter in a suffici-
ently liberal spirit, and I was therefore ready, both as
General Officer Commanding and Officer Administering the
Government to recommend that the inauguration of the large
park should be proceeded with and should form part of the
Coronation ceremonies. I was glad to receive your approval of
52528
the scheme in your telegram of the 7th instant, and I have
noted its provisional terms both as regards the limitation of
expenditure and the provision of new Ranges before the old
ones are given up.
10.
I am not yet in a position to furnish you
with exact details and plans of the area to be devoted to the
park. So much of the Kowloon Military Reserve as is not taken
up by Rifle Ranges, together with the eleven acre area to
which I have referred, may, however, be taken to roughly re-
present
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