3.
48
regularising the position of the complete area that the
Colonial Government in 1929 approached the local Military
Authorities. It was suggested that the War Department should
surrender to the Colonial Government their titles to Plots
B and E, and to Block G, together with whatever estate and
interest they had in Plots A, C, D, and F, and that the
Colonial Government should then issue to the War Department
a freehold title to the Cantonment, within which these
leasehold lots would be included as a single War Department
lot. The intention was that the whole area should then be
regarded as ordinary Colonial Military Land held under proper
title.
40
These proposals received the approval of the
local Military Authorities, and, embodied in a draft Memorandum
of Transfer, were forwarded by them for the consideration of
the War Office in 1929.
5.
After due consideration the Army Council in 1933
caused the Colonial Government to be informed through the
Military Authorities, without, however, returning the draft
Memorandum, that they were not prepared to convert their leasehold properties (Plots A to F and Block G) to ordinary
Colonial Military Land without an express stipulation that
in the event of these areas being handed back to the Colonial
Government, the Colonial Government would pay for them in cash,
and not by means of a credit in Colonial Military Lands
Account.
This reservation was made in virtue of paragraph 5
of Colonial Military Lands Circular No.2 dated 9th June, 1890,
and the proposals set forth in the draft Memorandum were
evidently interpreted by the War Office as involving a sacrifice by them of their rights and titles in the leasehold
plots.
6.