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Comprehensive memorandum reviewing the cokole situation
asit exists today. know what the 6.0
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mean when
301
SIR SAMUEL WILSON.
The history of this question is rather complicated.
I have attempted to indicate in the following summary aa
briefly as possible how the question originally arose
and to explain the present position. I would, however,
mention that the question has never been referred to the
Overzea Defence Committee.
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14 4.26.
•
At their 157th Meeting in May, 1922, the Committee
of Imperial Defence had under consideration a question
which was raised by the Air Kinistry as to whether the
establishment of an air base at Hong-Kong was precluded by
the terms of Article 19 of the Washington Naval Treaty.
The Foreign Office in 0.I.D.Paper No. 185-0, which was also
under consideration, expressed the opinion that it would be
difficult to maintain that the limitation introduced by the
word "coast" in the stipulation in Article 19 of the Naval
Treaty of Washington "that no increase shall be made in the
coast defence of the territories or possessions above
specified" entitled His Majesty's Government to establish
an aerial base at Hong-Kong, since the establishment of
such a base would obviously increase the defensibility of
the port against attacks from any quarter.
The Committee of Imperial Defence then decided that
the question of the establishment of an air base at Hong-
Kong was not yet ripe for discussion and recommended that
no further action should be taken in the matter for the
present (0.I.D.157th Meeting, Conclusion (2)).
During the discussion, however, attention was called
to the fact that the Japanese were preparing an air base
at Formosa, but the Director of Operations, Air Kinistry,
whilst allowing that a large aerodrome had been constructed
which........