CO129-509-8 Military Contributions- claim for relief 24-2-1928 - 15-12-1928 — Page 43

Exhart from est submitted on

5-2056(5.5.1

43

As regards Hong Kong, I stand by what I

said in my letter of the 29th of October on the main point, but there are new developments, which may not be so satisfactory to you, about the £114,000. Sir C. Clementi was in favour of waiving this claim if War Office's proposals for the building of new barracks went through, since the sum would be a help to them in meeting this heavy expenditure. But as you know the War Office proposals were turned down and this question postponed till after the General Election in other words there is no reason to expect that this money will have to be spent for a very long time to come, if at all. in these circumstances Sir C. Clementi is no longer prepared to stand against the local wish to obtain this refund, and we shall be writing to

you officially asking for it. This is a disappointment but in the circumstances, I fear, inevitable.