CO129-551-9 Acquisition of land for Air Ministry at Kai Tak 17-2-1936 - 9-1-1937 — Page 27

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As the result of a telephone

conversation yesterday with Mr. Bridges, he

came over with Mr. Grey of the Treasury for

a talk on this question with Mr. Cowell and

myself this morning.

Mr. Bridges regretted that any

dissention should have arisen with the Colonial

Office over the question of Kai Tak. He had

not meant to convey in his letters that the

Treasury declined to accept any liability for

the contribution towards the expense which

the Colonial Government had incurred in the

enlargement of the aerodrome, but what he felt

was that the question whether as much as 50%

of the cost could properly be claimed from

the Treasury was one on which he needed

information on certain points, and thought

that this could usefully be discussed at a

meeting with those representatives of Service

Departments who are also qualified to discuss

the wider question of the terms on which land

was made available for Royal Air Force purposes

in Hong Kong. He had not meant to say

definitely that he necessarily regarded the

two questions as interdependent.

Mr. Cowell explained to Mr. Bridges

the present financial circumstances of Hong

Kong and also the facts relating to the

extension of the Kai Tak aerodrome.

He

reminded Mr. Bridges that it was at the express

request of the Air Ministry that the area of

the extension was, in 1927, specifically

reserved by the Hong Kong Government from

development, since it was likely to be

required