CO129-628-13 Compensation- requisitioned railway materials and stores 1-2-1950 - 30-4-1951 — Page 63

612

54447/5/50

THE CHURCH HOUSE,

GREAT SMITH STREET

WESTMINSTER,

S.W.

1.

14 March, 1950

Dear Seymour,

Will you please refer to Hall's letter of 5th January 1950 about claims arising from the requisitioning of railway materials in Hong Kong in 1941. In paragraph 2 of his letter he mentioned that in connection with the point at issue between the War Office and Hong Kong relating to work done on 600 railway wagons we proposed to contact Lieutenant Colonel Walker who was manager of the railway in 1941. This has now been done and I enclose for your information copies of Hall's letter to Colonel Walker and of Colonel Walker's reply.

From the reply you will see that, relying upon his memory of the facts of the matter, Colonel Walker comes down emphatically in favour of Hong Kong's view as to the amount of work done on the wagons. Whilst we realise that we cannot claim Colonel Walker's recollections as evidence in the strict sense we do feel that they add considerable weight to the view on the matter which Hong Kong has expressed and we hope that the War Office will now be able to view more favourably Hong Kong's claim in respect both of work done on the 600 wagons and of materials supplied in making them good.

In the meantime we are following up Colonel Walker's

LIEUTENANT COLONEL SEYMOUR, 0.B.E.,

War Office,

Inspector of Lands,

Nuffield House,

Piccadilly.

suggestions