CO129-622-8 Pre-war claim on Admiralty for supply of flour 21-10-1949 - 9-3-1950 — Page 8

54485/49

G.F.445/49

Colonial Office, The Church House,

Great Smith Street,

8. W. 1.

6 December, 1949.

4

Dear Durracht,

Morgan has passed to me your letter of the 4th November 1949 about a claim by the Government of Hong Kong in respect of flour requisitioned in 1941.

2.

The Governor has now sent us fuller information, and I enclose copies of three documents which he puts forward as evidence that 355,500 lb. of flour in 7,255 bags were requisition ed by the Hong Kong Government and deliverså to godoms to be held against the orders of the Naval authorities. (The weight now quoted is the same as in previous on respondence, but the mumber of bags was previously wrongly stated as 4,400; the error arose from the wording of requisition No.0151). These documents must, I think, be accepted, since they have been certified as genuine by Ginson, then Colonial secretary, who made himself responsible during tla internsent perial for preserving copies of official papers; and the Governor points out that they indicate that the godows verrante for 4,400 sacks were actually sent to the Navel authorities, and that warrants for the remaining 2,855 packs would have been sent by the Controller of Food on request.

3. In these circumstances, and in view of what you say in paragraph 3 of your letter, I hope the Admiralty will now be able to accept full liability for the cost of 7,255 sacks at 8.63 each, plus interest as prescribed by the Compensation (Lefence)

W.R. LARRACUTT, ESV.

GENERAL FINANCE BRANCH,

ADMIRALTY.

Regulations