DRAFT
HONG KONG
CONFIDENTIAL
GOVERNOR
Sir,
Draft embodying suggested
Amendments by War office.
28
Downing Street,
May, 1930.
15)
10 on 52802/28 1 on 62916/29
With further reference to your
confidential despatch of the 31st July last,
regarding the military contribution payable
by the Government of Hong Kong, I have the
honour to inform you that, after consultation with the Lords Commissioners of the Treasury
and the Army Council, I regret that I am unable to agree to your proposal that an
entirely new basis of assessment, viz. a
percentage of the annual rateable valuation
of the Colony should be adopted in place of the present basis of a percentage (20%) of
annual revenue.
2.
I am, however, considering whether
in view of the reserved claims mentioned in
Mr. Southron's Confidential (1) despatch of the 28th July, 1928, and the proposals in your despatch No.400 of the 10th September, 1929, any modifications may be desirable and possible in the existing system in order to bring it up to date. In any read justment it
will be necessary to be guided by the principles set out in the following paragraph which have been agreed to govern the assessment of the military contribution not only of Hong Kong but also of the other Colonies who make such contributions.
3.
It is generally agreed that it is
equitable