CO129-493 - Governor Sir Clementi - 1926 [6-8] — Page 61

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SECRET

60

GOVERNMENT HOUSE,

HONGKONG. 14th June, 1926.

10857

3ir,

On the 31st May you inquired by telegram what is

(Sep bender) my view of Lord Willington's proposal to subsidize the

Canton Hankow Railway. In endeavouring to answer this

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question I am hampered by the fact that all I know of Lord Willingdon's proposal is contained in the following extract from his telegram to the Foreign Office, dated the 25th May:- "In our report we shall probably advise investment of about £5,000,000 in permanent endowment scheme, and have selected Canton Hankow Railway as principal form of investment. have reason to believe this will gratify Cantonese."

2.

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I

I hesitate to criticize a proposal about which I know so little; but, as my opinion has been invited, I submit the following comments.

3.

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As already stated in my secret despatch of the 26th May, the completion of the Canton Hankow railway is an enterprise in which the Hong Kong Government is keenly interested, and which it would willingly assist. More especially is it a matter of vital importance to the prosperity

of this Colony that the Canton Hankow railway should be

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connected by a junction line at Canton with the Canton -Kowloon Railway. I have written to you fully on this subject in

THE RIGHT HONOURABLE

LIEUTENANT COLONEL L.C.H.S. AMERY, M.P.,

&o..

&c.,

&c.

my