27
As the result of a telephone
conversation yesterday with Mr. Bridges, he
came over with Mr. Grey of the Treasury for
a talk on this question with Mr. Cowell and
myself this morning.
Mr. Bridges regretted that any
dissention should have arisen with the Colonial
Office over the question of Kai Tak. He had
not meant to convey in his letters that the
Treasury declined to accept any liability for
the contribution towards the expense which
the Colonial Government had incurred in the
enlargement of the aerodrome, but what he felt
was that the question whether as much as 50%
of the cost could properly be claimed from
the Treasury was one on which he needed
information on certain points, and thought
that this could usefully be discussed at a
meeting with those representatives of Service
Departments who are also qualified to discuss
the wider question of the terms on which land
was made available for Royal Air Force purposes
in Hong Kong. He had not meant to say
definitely that he necessarily regarded the
two questions as interdependent.
Mr. Cowell explained to Mr. Bridges
the present financial circumstances of Hong
Kong and also the facts relating to the
extension of the Kai Tak aerodrome.
He
reminded Mr. Bridges that it was at the express
request of the Air Ministry that the area of
the extension was, in 1927, specifically
reserved by the Hong Kong Government from
development, since it was likely to be
required