Confidential
M
0015
6th July 7
C
| 24140
208
The Commodore-in-Charge
Hong Kong.
Rret Red 9 JUL 07
I am to refer to your letter of the 8th April last to the General Officer Commanding the Troops, South China, relative to the existing arrangements for the care and maintenance of the direct telephone line from the Port War Signal station at D'Aguilar to the Central Station in Hong Kong Dockyard and to state that the War Office have informed their Lordships that they are prepared to undertake the maintenance of this line free of cost for one year.
At the end of the year, the Army Council propose, unless the amount involved is small, to ask for an Admiralty contribution towards the cost of maintenance.
2.
Under the Memorandum of Transfer of the Signal Stations at Hong Kong from the Colonial Government to the Admiralty, dated 16th December 1908, the cost of maintaining this wire falls upon the Colonial Government and it is considered that, since the arrangement with the War Office is being made in order to expedite repairs to the wire, any contribution which the War Office may call upon the Admiralty to pay towards the cost of maintenance should be charged to the Colonial Government.
I am therefore to signify their Lordships' directions to you to communicate with the Colonial Government with a view to obtaining their assent to the modification of the existing agreement involved by the proposed arrangement with the War Office.
By Command of their Lordships,
So.. W. Graham Greene