36
4
October, 1938.
53852/38
SECRET
sir,
Record.
To Cov. 410.38. To B.of T.
10.38.
THE SECRETARY,
ADT AT .
I am directed by Mr.Secretary MacDonald to
acknowledge the receipt of your letter No.M.05156/38 of
the 22nd September, regarding the possibility of
negotiating with the Chinese Government for the
extension of the present lease of the New Territories
of Hong Kong.
2.
Mr.MacDonald would not himself regard the
matter as being of such urgent importance as to require
reference to the Committee of Imperial Defence at the
present time, but he would have no objection to such
a procedure, if it were generally agreed to be desirable.
If reference should be made to the Committee of
Imperial Defence, Mr.MacDonald would suggest that it
should take the form of an agreed joint memorandum by
the Departments concerned.
3. Copies of the record of the inter-Departmental
meeting held in the Colonial Office on the 26th
August a semi-official letter to the Governor of
Hong Kong and a letter to the Board of Trade are
enclosed.
4.