CO129-497 - Public Offices - 1926 — Page 394

386

In my opinion the Hong Kong

Government should be definitely warned net

to purchase the land required for the

proposed aerodrome until it has been definite-

ly ascertained that neither Japan nor the,

United States of America regard the provisioni

of a military serodrome at Hong Kong as an offence against the Washington Treaty.

The requirements for a civilian

and a military aerodrome are, so far as 1

know, barely distinguishable; the intention

here is to provide e military aerodrome.

The experience of civil flying

in this country after years of subsidy is that

commercial profit is not yet in sight. It seems to me sesy improbable that sufficient

support would be forthcoming from comercial interests in China to make it a paying

proposition within the period of the

Washington Treaty.

The Hong Kong Government would have to justify expenditure on proposed purchase of land by explaining its purpose. If the

recommendations of the Committee are acted

upon in Hong Kong, the purchase or the intention to purchase, and its purpose,

/will