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be at the disposal of His Majesty's Government for war purposes. It was accordingly suggested that it might be the desire of the Legislative Council to treat this war payment as a contribution towards the cost of the war and to waive refund.
...
Gar
43494/20
At the time of the receipt of the War Office letter (which was forwarded by your Department to Hong Kong), the Colonial Government was much exercised over the re-distribution of military sites in the Colony, which the Governor described in the confidential despatch of 17th July, 1920, not only as "a matter of urgency" but as "vitally important to the Colony". He therefore proposed that the refund of the over-paid contribution should be considered in that connection, and stated that if the Army Council were ready to shew a reasonable spirit in the matter it was quite possible that he could persuade the unofficial Members of the Legislative Council to waive the refund of the overpayment. The Army Council were satisfied to leave the matter there for the time being.
Since that date a number of fresh circumstances have arisen which have placed the question of the military lands in the quite different position stated in the first paragraph of this letter. It is not necessary to rehearse the history of this matter, but the fact that the negotiations were brought to the verge of completion is evidence (if evidence were required) of the display by the Council of that reasonable spirit which the Governor in 1920 invited.
The Council therefore trust that the Secretary of State will be ready to propose to the present Governor that he should follow out the line indicated by his predecessor in the despatch quoted above, and use his influence to persuade the Legislative Council to waive the refund.
In this connection they would suggest that the Colony have not in fact at any time counted on the repayment of the overpaid contribution, and that, had they not desired to utilise it in order to press their claims to the military lands, they would have been pleased to waive
repayment
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