CO537-6036 — Page 117

(F 18553/10147/10)

CONFIDENTIAL.

(1) (8) on '49.

FOREIGN OFFICE, S.W.1.

10th January, 1950.

Dear Radford,

(3) m'49

cam fl

In your letter 53848/49 of the 23rd November, 1949 you raised the question of the limit of Hong Kong's territorial waters. I have since had copies, under Admiralty reference M. 01906/49, of Cardo's letters to you of the 8th and 9th December on the same subject.

At present we are inclined to consider that the position taken up in 1937 should be re-endorsed now, but before we let you know our final views we should be glad to know how it came about that the Hong Kong Ordinance of 1911 came to be framed as it was, as it clearly proceeds on a different view. Was this done after mature consideration with the Colonial Office and Admiralty or not? The Foreign Office records of that period do not appear to reveal any correspondence on the subject.

3

We are fully aware of the importance of reaching a decision on this important

R. E. Radford, Esq.,

Colonial Office.

question/