CO129-446 - Others & Individuals - 1917 — Page 611

606

desirable and practicable. Not only would the

stipulation in no way have contracted the prospect

of the Hospital's expansion, it even held out a

promise of growth- There is no difficulty in

imagining that if the proposed Hongkong Extension

had materialised in the way that the Colony desired, accounts of it appearing in the Press of the Far East might have set up a upirit of emulation in other

British Colonies and Settlementa, where particular

interest has already been evinced in the Royal Flying

Corpa, whoae members are deservedly the heroes of

the hour The large number of aeroplanes which

have been presented to the Government by those

scattered oversea communities shows how keen is the

interest in the new Corps and how much its activities

appeal to the imagination of people living far from

the scenes of the present conflict.

The acceptance of Hongkong's original

offer on terme which would have satisfied the Colony"

pride, while leaving intact the unity of the Royal

Flying Corps Hospital might easily have led to the

receipt of other offers to maintain Extensions to be similarly identified with communities similarly

situated in point of distance and equally anxious

to demonstrate their desire to help in the only way

that lies open to them.

Speaking therefore from the point of view of the future of the Royal Flying Corps Hospital, I

think it was a mistaken policy not to encourage

Hongkong'a very natural wish to maintain, and to be

recognised