In his present letter, Sir G.
Northcote emphasises the risk of our
"missing the market". But the present state
of the "market" is precisely one of the
difficulties in the way of going ahead with
the proposal, and the most recent information
is indeed that China is showing signs of
cracking under the Japanese assaults; and if
that is confirmed, the moment has passed, if
indeed it ever existed, for us to fish for
advantages in the New Territories in the
present troubled waters in China.
It seems to me that Chinese "face",
whether in victory or defeat, would require
the basis of any extension of our rights in
the New Territories to depend upon the return
to China itself of her formal sovereignty of
that area either on the expiration of the
present lease or, and preferably, at a
substantially earlier date.
the
The defence aspect, although not
&conomic on, of the case for Hoarding the N. Temitonier is road to Hong Kong
have become less stong
may
result of
16,9:884,
as h
the recent decision of
The C.I.). That the defence forces
in the Colony
an encry
the island
on being pressed by
should withdraw to
and evacuate the
N. Temtorice & Kowloon.
이상
изнан
I suggest a diff nytom reply.
16.8.
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