NOT DISA
SCHEME
ED MEN
RECEIVED
2 OMAY,930
COL.OFFICE
The War Office,
Whitehall,
S.W.1.
12
26
19 May, 1930.
13
слось
Dear Clauson,
(9)
vi (3)
Owing to pressure during the Estimates season we have not been able before to deal with your official letter No.62832/29 of 19th February last regarding the method of assessment of the military contribution.
We are quite ready to join any conference that may be assembled to consider whether Hong Kong is entitled to any relief under the present method of assessing the contribution, but our idea is that such a conference is premature at the moment unless your Department has fuller information than that which has yet reached us as to the nature and details of the claims for relief which will have to be considered.
As indicated in the memorandum (paragraphs 10
25) which we sent to the Treasury with War Office letter No.16/Abroad/276 (F.1.) of 25th April, 1929, we find on the somewhat sparse information at present before us that most of the reserved claims should be rejected and that the actual relief to Hong Kong arising from such claims as might be accepted will very likely not be of any substantial amount. It may be that there is fuller information that can be furnished which would induce us to modify this view to some extent, but in the present circumstances it appears to us that the draft of the letter you propose to send to Hong Kong may raise false hopes in the Colony that the exemptions may be considerable.
We think that the Colony should be told that the method of assessment on the annual rateable valuation on the Colony cannot be approved, but that His Majesty's Government are prepared to consider whether any of the "reserved claims" are of such a character that they can be accepted within the existing system. To enable His Majesty's Government to consider these claims they should be put forward
G.L.M. Clauson Esq., O.B.E.,
Colonial Office.
comprehensively
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