Fondosure 2.
389
referred to.
4.
I have recently discussed the matter with the General Officer Comanding and the Chief Engineer, South Chine Command, the Director of Public Works being present. I explained that I had had much to do with the negotiations which led up to the Levis Areement and that I had always regarded the Arooment as a settlement of then outstanding questions and not as an agreement determining future action. General Anderson was unable to accept this view but put forward the proposals of which a
copy is enclosed.
5.
I consider that the system sugested in these proposals would be somewhat difficult to apply and I prefer, in the event of your ruling that the Lewis Agreement must be held to refer to future as well as to past transactions, to abide by that: agreement on the understanding that circumspection will be used by the Lilitary Authorities in not taking up as Lilitary Reserves more land than is actually required end that care will be taken to release from Reserve, or to give the Colonial Government the option of re-purchase as the case may be, all lands as soon as they are no longer required for defence purposes.
6.
The reference to correspondence respecting
land in the Kowloon Hill in Ceneral Anderson's memorandum of the 17th. July, 1913, is to the large Reserve knom as the Ngau Tau Kok Reserve upon which I shall address you separately. As the ares is little used by the Military Authorities as a training ground for which purpose it was originally reserved and as the reservation of some of the coastal land in it hinders development, I have proposed that it be released from Reserve on the condition that none of the land above the 500 foot contour be alienated
without previous reference to the War Department.
I have the honour to be,
Sir,
Your most obedient,
humble servant,
Алда
Governor,&c..
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