N.4783/26
6
4th July, 1927.
31
Dear Sir Gilbert,
In reply to your letter of the 30th June,
No.30176/27, the recent decision to scrap the twin-
in the event of the Hongkong
screw minesweeper
Government not wanting her is not in anyway due to
the washington Agreement: it was arrived at on
financial grounds alone.
It is still the policy of the Admiralty to
assist the Colonies to form Koyal Naval Volunteer
Reserve units of their own, and I have no reason to
think that that policy will be altered. But we
cannot afford the upkeep of a vessel, which would
otherwise be scrapped, unless we are assured that a
Colony needs her in the immediate future.
There would, however, be no objection at
all to the vessel being maintained here in Reserve
until the Colony decides whether they will want her
or not, provided they pay the cost of upkeep which
should