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5. A telegram in this sense was accordingly
despatched to the Governor who on the 11th January replied that the cost of buying out the Company ($1 million) and of completing the reclamation ($738,000) remained unchanged but that an additional sum of $298,500 was required for covering mullahs and forming a flight gap in accordance with the strong recommendations of local Air Force officers. The Governor repeated his conviction. that it was essential that the scheme should be undertaken
at once.
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6. In a subsequent telegram" dated the 1st February the Governor stated that the question of acquiring an option on the land did not arise since the Company were precluded from selling to others without the permission of the Colonial Government.
7. In the meantime in the course of a discussion on developments in China, the Committee of Imperial Defence had, it is understood, expressed the view that the establishment of an aerodrome at Hong Kong had become a matter of pressing importance. On the 22nd January the Foreign Office agreed that this was the case and that the recommendations of the Committee of Imperial Defence could be carried out without prior consultation with the United States and Japanese Governments. Finally on the 3rd February urgent representations were received from the Air Ministry that the Governor should be authorised to
Scheme complete the first stage of the enlargement at a cost of £4000.
8. In view of the urgency and without prejudice to the question of the incidence of cost the Governor was authorised by telegram on the 7th February to proceed with
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