CO129-497 - Public Offices - 1926 — Page 383

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as soon as possible after the approval of the Committee of

Imperial Defence had been obtained, Further, the Foreign Office

considered that provided negotiations were started with Japan

and America before any public announcement regarding the purcua8e

was made, there was no risk in granting approval in principle to

the Governor's proposal to acquire the land.

MR. CLUTTERBUCL stated that from the political standpoint

the Colonial Office considered that it would be wiser to wait

until the consent of Japan and Aaerios had been obtained.

From the Services point of view it would appear that no great

advantage would be derived from getting the land now as it

oan be acquired compulsorily at any time. Even if the land

were acquired immediately it would be of no use to the Services

as it could not be equipped or used 28 an aerodrome until our

position under the Washington Treaty had been established.

The only objection to delay from the point of view of the

Hong Kong Government appeared to be the possibility of a rise

in the value of the land. He wished to point out that Hong Kong

had been badly hit by the boycott and at present could ill afford

the expenditure contemplated. A rise in land values would mean

an increase in prosperity, and it was therefore reasonable to

assume that even if the Hong Kong Government had later to pay

more for the land, they would be in a better position to meet

the expenditure. The Colonial Office, therefore, would thus

prefer to wait until the position rie à vis America and Japan

had been cleared up.

THE CHAIRMAN suggested that as the recommendations of the

Committee were worded at present it was only intended, that the

Governor's proposal should be approved in principle, and the

Committee had not stated that the land should be bought

immediately. He pointed out that in any case, according to

the third recommendation, the Colonial Office would have to

ent

into correspondence with Hong Kong and that considerable tice must elapse beforE this correspondence could be completed

and that consequently there was no danger of the Governor

immediately setting to work to acquire the land,

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