AIR MINISTRY,
ADASTRAL HOUSE,
20.
KINGSWAY, W.C,2.
26 June,
1934.
72
Dear Cowell,
We are rather at a loss in regard to your official
12. letter of the 30th April (33744/1934) on the subject of the
possible exercise of Chinese jurisdiction in Kowloon City.
I understand that you have also asked the War
Office for their opinion on the matter. Our view would be
that broader questions of general defence policy at Hong Kong
in which no specific air interest was involved were matters
on which the Colonial Office would naturally be advised by
the G.O.C., Hong Kong, and the War Office rather than by the
Air Ministry.
You may, however, have in mind that the exercise of
Chinese jurisdiction in Kowloon might result in the approaches
to the aerodrome being interfered with. That, of course, is
a matter of very direct interest to us, and it is one on
which some correspondence has taken place between the Officer
Command ing, R.A.F., Far East, and the Colonial Secretary's
Department, Hong Kong Government.
H.R. Cowell, Esq., C.M.G.,
Colonial Office,
S.W.1.
We are expecting to hear
further/