CO129-466 - Individuals - 1920 — Page 551

:

A

Avenue 8100.

HERBERT SMITH,

Solicitor.

HS/IL

COB Mark Lane 30232 London. 5.0.3.

RES

IBEL 19 JUN 10!

The Under Secretary of State,

18th June 1920.

Colonial Office,

Downing Street, S.W.1.

sir,

547

Reference 26992/20.

With reference to your letter of the 15th instant; I am desired to point out to the Government :- (a) That the possibility of opening up Repulse Bay was

first brought to general notice by the Promoters. (b) That in the Promoters' development plans made in 1913 a Repulse Bay Hotel was shewn there and this was discussed with one of the directors of the Hong Kong Hotel Co.

(a) That but for the Promoters so heme it is extremely

doubtful whether the Government would have built the road connecting Deep Water and Repulse Bays with Little Hong Kong, as no steps had been taken to do this until the Agreement had been sanctioned by the Secretary of State.

The Government should understand that the situation in Repulse Bay has not, from the Promoters' standpoint, been altered at all by the opening of an hotel, as this was to have been one of the first efforts of the

The Promoters must claim that they Development Co. were the first to really make this district a possibility because their early efforts were generally considered as something quite new and they had to educate various parties The develoment of the South had to their point of view. previously been discussed, but not this portion.

The delay in submitting the statement was due to circumstances over which the Promoters had no control. They were waiting to ascertain what definite proposition could be put before the Government, and it was only a few

(1)