5. The proposals ur despatch.
No. 292 for assumption by H.M. G. of certain
liabilities were fully considered but in
the circumstances referred to in
paragraph 2 H. M. G. regret that they did
able to
not feel justified in meeting your request that they should lake
L
beex
that
On the Settlement of the above
questions I will be prepared to agree to
the existing form of control over Hong
Should be
Kong finances being relaxed.
6.
It
I trust that you will be able to
inform me in the near future of your
acceptance of His Majesty's Government's offer which I should emphasise I regard
as generous in present circumstances.
is in my view essential and you will no
doubt agree that the public announcement in
Hong Kong as to the details of the settle-
ment should be issued to coincide with that
in Malaya ixxx which, as you will observe from my telegram No -457--
must be made before April 27th. This
198
over the refour, blties
listed in
your
desfalch.
and ) with communicate
with you separately on this forint.
nchiale
telegram is therefore being followed by
another setting out a draft public announce-
ment for Hong Kong on which I should be
grateful for your early observations.
I am
sure that I can rely on you to make every
effort to ensure that H.M.G. s action
in these difficult
er this time.
this times (the gravity.
of which have not perhaps always been
11tics
fully appreciated) shall be taken by the
population of Hong Kong as evidence of
good-will which it is in fact intended to
be.
7. When a settlement of outstanding
questions has been reached
has been reached I shall
prepared to consider the relaxation ances the present financial control over
relaxution ofmes of Hong Kong.