CO129-621-12 War damage compensation 19-5-1949 - 7-10-1949 — Page 19

QUI

PENSE

S.W

9th June, 1949.

19

4

(3)

Dear Bourn,

Under cover of your letter of 23rd May you sent me various documents relating to the loss during the war of several ships belonging to Sir Robert Ho Tung.

2.

As I was myself quite unfamiliar with the background of Sir Robert's claim, I had the matter looked into and find that there has already been some correspondence on the matter between Severs of our Material Finance Branch and H. Pamer of your Department. I understand that the question of liability for ships destroyed at Hong Kong is being dealt with as a whole, and Sir Robert's ships are in the list enclosed with the Ministry of Transport's U.K. representative's report of 1st June, 1948 and we have heard of no developments since October, 1948.

3. In the circumstances I feel that it would be undesirable for us to reply to Sir Robert direct and that it would be preferable for you to take the matter up with him. I accordingly return the correspondence which you sent me on the subject.

J. Bourn, Esq.,

Yours sincerely,

RHAdackon

Private Secretary

Private Secretary to the Permanent Under Secretary,

Colonial Office.