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TEL. No. HOLBORN 3434.
Any communications on the subject of this letter should be addressed to:-
THE SECRETARY,
A MINISTRY,
ADASTRAL House,
KINGSWAY,
LONDON, W.C.2.
and the following number quoted:-
S.24154/S.6.
440
Sir,
AIR MINISTRY,
Aerodrome Site at Hong Kong.
LONDON, W.C.2.
November, 1925.
381
I am commanded by the Air Council to refer to a report
by the Chiefs of Staff (paragraph 5, C.I.D. Paper No. 248-C),
in regard to the possible future need of an aerodrome in the
vicinity of Hong Kong, and to acquaint you, for the information
of the Secretary of State for the Colonies, that they have
recently received reports which suggest that the question of
effecting certain reservations on what is now reported as the
only suitable site for an air base at Hong Kong should now be
considered.
The Kowloon reclamation area, the site in question,
is owned by the Kai Tak Company who are reported to have failed
financially and to be anxious to sell. At the present time
a part of the reclaimed area is being used as an aerodrome by
a flight of aircraft from H.M.S. Hermes at a low rental of one
dollar per month.
In their report (C.I.D. Paper No. 617-B), the Chiefs
of Staff suggested that local interests in Hong Kong might be expected to contribute in some way towards military expenditure
on the defence of Hong Kong. It is known that the Hong Kong
Government would have been willing in 1922 to contribute towards
the cost of a local aerodrome site provided that some Air Force
unit were permanently stationed there in peace time.
Although the present situation does not warrant the
permanent location of an air base at Hong Kong, it might be necessary, in the event of the growth of the present unrest
in China and the development of Chinese air forces, to establish
The Under Secretary of State,
Colonial Office,
Downing Street,
S.W.1.