sale
16
FOREIGN OFFICE, S.W. 1.
2nd November, 1948.
(N 9806/1485/38)
Dear Walace,
Your letter No. 55136/24/48 of the 4th September, (13)
about the Soviet steamships Simferopol and Svirstroi at Hong Kong.
We have just received from the Moscow Narodny Bank a cheque for the sum of £254. 15. Od. in payment of the charges for the maintenance of watchmen on board the ships during the period between the 1st September 1945 and the 31 st December 1946, on the instructions of the Anglo-Soviet Shipping Company. This suggests that they may be willing to meet any sums the Hong Kong Government may require for the period since between the end of 1946 and the date of the sale of the ships.
We agree that, on the evidence, it is clear that the Government of Hong Kong have no legal right to dispose of the ships and we should be quite willing if you and the Ministry of Transport are agreable to ask the Russians to agree to the sale and to the deduction of the cost of the maintenance of watchmen, particularly as it seems most unlikely that the Russians can or will ever produce the documents for which we have asked to substantiate their claim.
Haigh of the Ministry of Transport tells me that the Ministry have received a letter from a firm of solicitors suggesting that the matter should be submitted to arbitration on the plea that His Majesty's Government were unwilling to accept the certificate (sic) of the Soviet Embassy in connexion with this claim. We should have no
J. Wallace, Esq.,
Colonial Office,
The Church House,
Great Smith Street,
S.W. 1.
objection/
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