CO129-627-4 Argyle Street explosion- correspondence on claims and enquiries 1-6-1946 - 31-7-1951 — Page 60

CO129 Colonial Office Hong Kong Records 理藩院香港檔案 All

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So think that if the facts had been known to us earlier, va should have urged that the rea onaibility for settling the alsiza properly rested upon the Colonial Government, ens at the most, we should have suggested that some arbitrary acount sight be contributed in connection with the death and personal.

destù injury visâme,

in the Laited Kingdou the procedure for dealing with minefields in dwage ous proximity to inhabited premises would have included arrangascots to evacuate families until the danger mo past, but no such action was taken by the Military authorities in Hong long though the extent of the danger may not have ben appreciat.&a

Chus, apart from the question whether Flight Lieutenant Duse and Captain Staley failed in their toak of recoving explosives from the tunnels, they and Captain immedɔn, séu later took up the same task, might be said to have failed in the appreciation of the button connected with the tool in that they ade us provision for the safety of perans and property in the vicinity.

A further point is that as long ago as 5øptember, 1946, claimants or their representativez were informed that the Claica Comission would deal with their clsila and that ex-gratis payments would be rade,

Investigations into quantum have sic e been proceeding.

if you should decide that in viss of the history of the asttar the Claims Coa imion should čiapose of the cleiɛs thera will still remain the problem as to whether certain expansea, such sa the ost of alternative sodomidation, which thuch initially due to the explosion continued because property would not be rebuilt or repaired until all denger from the ac unition dump had been removed, should be borne by the British taxpayer »

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