54392/47
Dear Gilliams,
22
Colonial Office,
Downing Street,
S...1.
6th June, 1947.
Ans'd (8)
XX
I enclose a copy of a savingram from the Governor of Hong rong, No.128 of the 17th of March, about negotiations that have been taking place with the United States Consul General for the acquisition of a site for a new American Consulate building on Hong Kong Island. This was unfortunately overlooked here, and we have recently had a reminder from Hong Kong asking for an early reply.
You may recall that a somewhat similar case occurred in Fidi last year, when it was decided that the cost of a new United States Consulate building in that Colony would cone within the scope of paragraph 6 of the Joint Statement on Lease/Lend attached to the Anglo-American Financial Agreement of the 6th December 1945 (Omd.6708). On that occasion we made it clear to the Governor of Fiji that the financial liability involved was one for H.M.G. in the U.. (see telegram Xio.309 of 30th August 1946 to the Governor of Fiji, copies of which were sent to you and to the Foreign Office).
e take it that we should now telegraph to the Acting Governor of Hong Kong confirming that paragraph 6 of the Joint Statement on Lease/Lend applies to this case, and that the financial ability
we also involved will therefore rest with 1.1.0. propose to authorise the sale of the land in question by private treaty. e should be grateful
O.L. ILLIAS, 250
74
therefore