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Sir V. Wellesley pointed out the danger of
seeming to dispose of that which it might not be in our
power to give; the danger of encouraging Hong Kong to
think that we were going to keep the New Territories for
ever, when we were under an obligation to return them-
an obligation which the Chinese would probably invoke and
which the League of Nations if called on to intervene
would undoubtedly confirm; the danger of arousing
propaganda among the Chinese, not only in the South but
throughout China, if Sir Cecil Clementi's proposals were
acted on;
the danger of giving the lessees a claim
against His Majesty's Government, if it were found
impossible to secure them in the rights stipulated in the
new leases.
It was however generally recognised by the
conference that it would be unfortunate if development
around Hong Kong harbour were suspended owing to (perhaps exaggerated) apprehensions regarding security of
tenure.
It was therefore suggested and agreed that a way out of the difficulty might be found (a) by issuing
leases for short periods renewable either indefinitely
or for a stated number of times at the lessee's option
on application to the proper authorities; or (b) by
issuing leases for 65 years, renewable at the lessee's
option. Either of these methods would give the lessees
title to their land running on into the period when the
leased territories may have to be returned to China, but
without providing such material for propaganda an
Sir C. Clementi's original proposal, and without compelling us to prejudge the situation that may arise nearly seventy
years hence.
It