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ÀOEM O
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282
INWARD TELEGRAM
TO THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE COLONIES
COPY FOR REGISTRATION
FROM HONG KONG (Sir A. Grantham)
Cypher (0.T.P.)
D. 27th April, 1948. R. 27th
暂彎
15.30 hrs.
(45)
(36)
Bastirn
MOST IMMEDIATE No. 426
54195
Your telegram No. 494 has caused me much concern as, whatever final outcome, opportunity which settlement provided for bringing home to local population generous attitude displayed by His Majesty's Government has now been lost. Inevitably questions will be asked by press and only incomplete answers can for the moment be returned.
2. It has always been taken for granted by this Government that claims of the type indicated in my telegram No. 406 would be met by U.K. funds as it seemed obvious that claims resulting from sinking or (corrupt group ?demolition) carried out on instructions of naval or military authorities must, above all other types of claims, be treated as part of general cost of the war, Reference to
55178/19/47 paragraph 4 of my savingram No. 651 of 22nd October, 1947:
and paragraph 5 of my savingram No. 679 of 30th October, 1947 »
will confirm that this has been the view taken by this Government. When this assumption was repeated in my despatch No. 292, and it was emphasized in my telegram
(12) m'47 file.
(36) No. 406, that proposed settlement was definitely being
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accepted on this basis, this Government was surely entitled to assuine in the absence of any notification to the contrary, that this viewpoint had been accepted. But for that assumption I would not in fact have felt free to agree to settlement.
3s
This Government's insistence on this point was stressed when terms of the settlement were discussed in Executive Council and view was expressed that it could be taken for granted that no liability would fall on Hong Kong funds. It was only because of unofficial anxiety that this should be stated in the Legislative Council in the course of official statement on terms of settlement that my
(44) telegram No. 423 was sent. It is fairly obvious that this Government is compelled to assume liability for the se claims: there will be strong criticism in the Legislative Council, where questions may be asked which it will be difficult to answer,
55178/19/47 22nd October, 1947, denial claims including interest are
4. As will be seen from my savingram No. 651 of
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estimated at $25,000,000. Directly any payments were made there would immediately be applications to reclassify some others to bring them within this category. Some of these would no doubt (?have) to be admitted but it 18 improbable that final total would exceed £2,000,000 (sterling). In addition, there is type of claim indicated in my savingram No. 583 of 26th September, 1947, amounting to $350.000, in respect of danage and demolitions resulting from landing of heavy equipment by armed forces on re-occupation of the Colony.
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