393
13060/33 [No. 36].
SIR,
58
No. 47.
WAR OFFICE
to
COLONIAL OFFICE.
The War Office, S.W.1, 27th September, 1933.
I am commanded by the Army Council to refer to your letter of 12th September, 1933*, enclosing copies of the third draft of the ordinance to provide for the military contribution of the Straits Settlements on the new basis, together with relevant corre- spondence with the Governor of the Colony.
#4
I am to state for the information of Secretary Sir Philip Cunliffe-Lister that the Council have examined the ordinance (the fourth draft subsequently forwarded by your Department), and have no observations to offer on its terms. As regards the draft objects and reasons" attached to the ordinance, I am to observe that the wording of paragraph 11 (paragraph 15 in the fourth draft) appears to be open to some misunder- standing. It is true that the present Unofficial Members of the Legislative Council arc aware, from the information that has been supplied to them, that the fixed $4,000,000 payment to be made from 1st April, 1933, covers more than the present estimated cost of that part of the garrison and defences which existed prior to the commencement of the new Naval Base defences, but the general public in the Colony, and possibly others in the future, might erroneously interpret the paragraph to mean that the Colony will be contributing no more than the cost of the pre-Base garrison. Moreover, the paragraph might be understood to imply that the Imperial Government has undertaken that at any future revision of the contribution they will accept the principle that all increases in the cost of the garrison resulting from the defence of the New Base shall be disregarded in fixing the amount of the contribution. It will, in fact, be difficult, if not impracticable, in future years to split up the cost of the future garrison on these lines: but apart from this, Sir Philip Cunliffe-Lister will readily understand how very undesirable it would be to convey the impression that any such undertaking had been given.
The Council suggest that the minimum alteration to be made in the paragraph to meet the above points would be to insert the words "Under Ordinance No. 64" after the words "intend to charge the Colony." This amendment will secure that the para- graph more correctly expresses its presumed intention, i.e., to explain that no charge to which the Colony has objected in principle will remain in the payments made, or to be made, under the existing Ordinance in respect of the period up to 31st March, 1933.
A copy of this letter has been sent to the Treasury.
13060/33 [No. 38].
No. 48.
STRAITS SETTLEMENTS.
I am, &c.,
A. E. WIDDOWS.
THE SECRETARY OF STATE
to
THE GOVERNOR.
(Sent 9.30 p.m., 29th September, 1938.) TELEGRAM.
[Answered by No. 49.]
No. 148. Secret. My telegram No. 144‡ I regret that position of words suggested for insertion was wrongly stated, correct place in paragraph 15 should have been after War Office are anxious that any impression that they intended to word "Colony.' re-state one side of controversy should be removed and this is far from being the case. If Unofficial Members will agree to insertion of words in correct place as now stated, it would be welcomed as conducive to clarity. If, however, it is not possible to remove their objection, then I reluctantly agree not to press the amendment.
13060/33 [No. 40].
(Confidential.)
59
No. 49.
STRAITS SETTLEMENTS.
THE GOVERNOR
to
THE SECRETARY OF STATE.
(Received 17th October, 1933.)
A
Government House, Singapore, 3rd October, 1933. SIR.
of the With reference to your Secret Cypher telegram dated the 29th September, 1933*,
Objects and Reasons relative to the suggested insertion of certain words in the "' Bill to provide a contribution for the purpose of Imperial Defence, I have the honour to inform you that I discussed the matter with my Executive Council on 30th September, but that in view of opposition by the three Unofficial Members to the suggested insertion, I have not adopted the amendment.
2. A copy of the Bill as introduced into the Legislative Council at a meeting held on the 2nd October, 1933, together with copies of my address to the Council and the speech of the Acting Colonial Secretary in introducing the Bill are forwarded herewith for your information. The motion for the first reading was seconded by Mr. J. Bagnall, the senior Unofficial Member of the Council. The second reading will be moved on the 25th October, and I expect that the Bill will become law on that day.
3. I am posting this despatch by air-mail. A duplicate follows by ocean-mail.
Enclosure I in No. 49.
I have, &c.,
C. CLEMENTI,
Governor.
A BILL INTITULED AN ORDINANCE TO PROVIDE FOR A CONTRIBUTION FOR THE PURPOSE OF IMPERIAL DEFENCE.
Whereas His Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom and the Government of the Colony have been in communication upon the question of the contribution by the Colony to the defence of the Colony under Ordinance No. 64 (Defence Contribution) and an agreement has resulted for the payment by the Colony of a contribution to the Colony's and Imperial Defence of a sum of $4,000,000 in every year:
And whereas part of the said agreement is that the said sum shall be so paid for a period of five years from the 1st day of April, 1933, and at the end of that period or of any succeeding quinquennial period the said sum or any sum from time to time substituted therefor (by virtue of any further agreement hereinafter mentioned) may be increased or decreased if His Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom and the Government of the Colony shall so agree provided always that the Government of the Colony shall not so agree unless the increase or decrease of the said sum of $4,000,000 or any sum substituted therefor shall be first approved by a majority of the Unofficial Members of the Legislative Council:
And whereas a further part of the said agreement is that the said sum of $4,000,000 or any sum substituted therefor with the like approval at the end of any quinquennial period shall continue to be paid unless and until increased or decreased with such approval:
And whereas a further part of the said agreement is that the resolution mentioned in Section 4 shall be passed if a majority of the Unofficial Members of the Legislative Council so desire:
And whereas it is agreed that during such time as a contribution is paid as herein- before mentioned the Government of the Colony shall not without the approval of a majority of the Unofficial Members of the Legislative Council incur expenditure on the local forces of the Colony in excess of the sum of five hundred thousand dollars a year unless such local forces or any part thereof are called out in case of emergency in which case all necessary additional expenditure occasioned by such calling out may be incurred:
• No. 40.
† Enclosure in No. 41: not printed.
‡ No. 45.
(C38051)
* No. 48.
F*2
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE Reference:--
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C.O.882/11
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON|
ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO
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