CO129-571-16 New Territories 13-4-1938 - 12-12-1938 — Page 17

greater now, and based on much wider considera-

tions. From the general point of view the

rocky highlands

possession of the ring of bed for defence

purposes may not indeed be the chief

consideration, since we are no longer primarily

concerned with the prospect of resisting the

of

troops or local bandits a Kwangtung.

But there are other new defence

considerations affecting our position in the New

Territories, viz. the Naval interest in the

post

extended facilities, and the R.A. F. interest,

not only in the Kai Tak aerodrome, but in the

two additional R.A.F. aerodromes which are under

construction in the New Territories. It has

been found possible only in the foothills of

this mainland area to obtain sites for such

landing grounds. In the island itself and the

two or three square miles of the Kowloon

promontory there is no flat land other than

that which at great cost has been reclaimed

from the sea for the erection of buildings.

The whole question has been under

consideration in the fairly recent past from

time to time, and I begin with the F.0. letter

of the 8th September, 1928 (No.1 in 52723/28).

but one hopes

しゅ

Probably, cene only temporarily, eguns

bat some of the sentiments in that letter would

not be regarded at this moment as sufficiently realistic :- Vizi

"In view of the great development of international arbitration and of the extent to which international relationships are governed by the League of Nations and the provisions of the Covenant, it is hardly conceivable that H.M.G. would be able to keep possession by force of the New Territories under the plea of economic necessity. #t

But the rest of paragraph 4 of that letter can

still