CO129-557-6 Tenure of lands held by War Department 16-1-1936 - 25-1-1937 — Page 70

Tel. No.-Whitehall 9400.

Any further communication on this dbject should be addressed to --

The Under-Secretary of State,

The War Office,

London, S.W.1,

and the following number quoted.

119/Abd./2493 (L.B.)

NATIONAL

FOR DIS

AISABLED

CHEME

• MEN:

53654/36

69

THE WAR OFFICE,

LONDON, S.W.11

16th.

January, 1936.

3

53654 35

2

53154

35

Sir,

In reply to your letter No.53654/55 of 12th November, 1935, on the subject of the provision of permanent accommodation for the infantry garrison of Hong Kong, I am commanded by the Army Council to acquaint you that they note the terms, as set forth in despatch No.472 dated 15th August last, from the Officer Administering the Government, on which the Colony is prepared to transfer to the War Department certain lands in the vicinity of Kowloon Tsai.

2. Having regard to the Colony's limited liability in the matter of providing Colonial Military Lands and Buildings, the Council recognise that the terms which the Colony has proposed and which the Secretary of State has indicated his willingness to approve, are favourable to this Department, and they desire to express their obligations to the Colony and the Secretary of State in the matter. Subject to the clearing up of the obscurity referred to in paragraph 4 below, I am also to express the Council's formal concurrence in the proposals.

3. I am to explain, however, that pending settlement of the question of land provision, it has not been possible hitherto for the Council formally to submit the proposed expenditure on the barracks for Treasury sanction. They cannot therefore yet say when the work will be begun or ended, nor consequently can they yet forecast the date of the evacuation of the camp at Sham-Shui-Po. They hope, however, to be in a position to send a further letter on this point and on the Colony's claim to the payment of a rental for Sham-Shui-Po at an early date.

4.

The Council note that the elements to be dealt with through the Account are, in the case of the larger area of about 400 acres, premium at 15 cents per square foot and Crown Rent capitalised at $250 per acre, whereas, in the case of the smaller area adjoining Waterloo Road, they are Crown Rent capitalised at $500 per acre, and also what is described as the

The Under Secretary of State,

Colonial Office, S.W.1.

"capital

Page 70Page 71