proceeds, the balance of which will be placed
in deposit pending a decision on the Soviet
claim to compensation from the British War Risks
In communicting with the Russians
Insurance.
it would perhaps be as well to include a statement
of the expenses due to the Hong Kong Government
on account of the "Svirstroi" for the period
1st January 1947 to 31st March 1948 - viz. 83,984 plus
$1,018.80, total $5,002,80. (vide MacDougall's
(1)
letter of the 25th May, 1948, a copy of which was sent
The
to you with Scarlett's letter of /9th June, 1948)
and to request that, if the Soviet authorities
are unable to agree to our proposal to sell the
(2)
vessels, then the amount due should now be remitted
through their account with Lloyds Bank as in the
case of the cheque just received.
4. In your letter No. N 8391/3636/38 of the
28th July 1947 to the Embassy, Moscow, you suggested
that the Embassy should ask the Soviet Government
if they were willing to accept liability for a bill
(for $1,362) for watchmen on a third vessel, the
s.s. "Sergei Laso", in respect of the period
1st September, 1945, to 31st May 1946, but you gave
the Embassy discretion to omit this enquiry if
they thought it likely to prejudice our chances
of obtaining satisfaction over the "Svirstroi"
and the "Simferopol". In fact the Embassy did make
the enquiry about the "Sergei Laso" (vide the
third paragraph of their Note to the Soviet Ministry
of Foreign Affairs dated 14th August 1947) and,
as results have just shown, it did not prejudice
the
(10)
1947 file
(12) m 1947 file
the
50