Foreign Office and will let him know the
outcome.
P.
P. Roger.
26.4.38.
The lease of the New Terr tėries runs for 99
years from 1898. The question of the future of those
Territories was raised tentatively when Sir C.Clementi
was Governor, 1 think, but it was considered pre-
mature to take any action. The retention of the Territories is essential, not only for the defence of Hong Kong, but also because the water supply of the
Colony comes from there. as proposed.
* Glowell
26
See 1 on 30055/27
See 1 on 52723/28/
See enc. to 7 on
82770/31 ✓
Mr. Cowell.
Mr. Calder.
I have been asked to get out the
earlier papers on this matter. The position
of the new territories was raised in 1927, but
the F.0. felt that it was no
not time
ne at waich
any action could usefully be taken.
The stages by which the various
territories of Hong Kong Colony were acquired,
their legal position, and the importance
attached to them are fully set out in a
memorandum prepared by Sir W. Peel in 1931.
The only developments of importance since that
date are that Hong Kong is now even more
dependent upon water supplies from the New
Territories, most of the works since 1931 having
been put up there, and that Kai Tak aerodrome,
which is, of course, of very great importance
to Hong Kong's position as a large and growing
airport