Confidential
2.
3.
You. 10665.
Sir,
10, Hans Mansions,
May 10th, 1913.
161
C. 0.
15094
ECR
VILDE 10 MAT 12.
I have the honcur to acknowledge receipt of Mr H.J. Read's dispatch No.15581/1912, (which reached me at a late hour last night,) on the subject of the Terminal station
of the Kowloon Canton Railway and to return its enclo-
sures as requested.
mickered
I had not previously seen Mr Clementi's letter to Mr Roes of 15/3/12 which was written on the eve of my
departure from Hongkong and which he verbally informed
me recapitulated the terms I had personally approved.
The matter was, as you are aware, concluded in some haste
owing to my impending departure, and I should have been
indueed to demur to the condition in his para 5 viii (Mr Osborne's (D.i.) I as unduly hampering the action of
Government in perpetuity in respect of the land for which
it had paid full value. In all probability what Mr Os-
borne desires will in practice be effected, but the Govern-
ment has made no corresponding stipulation as to the areas
proposed to be handed over to the Companies, and I see no
necessity for including this in the terms of the Agreement.
For the rest the conditions represent I think accurate- ly those to which I was prepared to agree.
If, however, the arrangement were to be put through
on the basis of an exchange of lands, it might have been
worth consideration whether a considerable portion of the
area edged blue on the plan (Enclosure 7 in Deap.96 of
15.3.13) immediately to the south of the Water Police
station should not be included. This area is occupied by
The Under Secretary of State,
Colonial Office.