53684/41.
Code Telegram
2
13
TO:
TO HONG KONG
Governor (Sir G. Northcote)
FROM: Secretary of State for the Colonies.
No.436.
Sent 21st May 1941. 16.00 hrs.
Your confidential despatch of the 20th February. Military lands. I have noted your views on arrangements for Kau Lung Tsai site (paragraph 3) and for any necessary building works (para.5).
As regards Sham Shui Po site (see your paragraph 3) I appreciate the serious inconvenience caused to the Colony by the continued occupation of the site by military authorities, and that essential requirement for the Colony is to secure removal of cantonment elsewhere at as early a date as possible. In present circumstances this unfortunately has to be agreed to be impracticable. As regards rental for
the site and reference to limits of defence contribution I should be reluctant in present emergency to feel U.K Government would regard it as appropriate or consistent with the generous voluntary contributions already made by Colony toward exceptional burden of war effort. Insistence on payment of rental might also prejudice the Colony's essential aim of securing vacation of the site by the War Office at the earliest possible moment after the cessation of hostilities. In these circumstances the Colony's real interest would seem best served by accepting War Office proposal on the strict understanding that the site is vacated at the earliest possible moment after the cessation of hostilities, and I should be glad to learn whether you agree to my making formal communication to the War Office on these lines.
A