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EXTRACT FROM HAND OF 6th JUNA.
SA
I would now like to pass on to Hong-Kong, a place which it is impossible for an Englishman to visit without emotion. when you approach it by sea you sail between great mountains rising from the water, scenery rather like the west of scotland, although on a far grunder scale. The first time 1 went there i ente.ed the harbour in the evening and passea a British cruiser threading its way out of the harbour towards the sunset. i saw the 3,000 ft. mountain on,which were lights all the way up. it was one of the most inspiring eight imaginable. Here was a thriving, inqustrious city which british security had turned from a barren rock into a great port. what is to be the future of Hong-Kong Strategically, it has never meant anything to us, and I do not think it has any strategic future unless it is as u United Nations base, which merican, Chinese, utch unu British naval vessels can use and have repair and mintenance facilities. Trade is the foundation of Hon, -hong, unu trade was the reason we went there. Trade in the Iuture may be difficult. The crystal in China is clouded and not clear. with the aandonment of our extra-teritoriul rights the need for secure bases for trading may be more necesstry then ever.
Mr. stor
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with the tragic inflation that haɛ happened in China, hong-kong and a secure sterling or local currency may be a most valuable asset from & Chinese, British und world trading point of view. It can again be a place of refuge in troubled world. Thee would never have been a Chinese revolution if r. sun-Yat-sen had not been able to take refuge in Hong-ron Marshal Chiang-Fai-Shek' finily has also been able to tuke refuge there. The Colony in the just has been built up as a "free"port and a cheap fort. The port and entrepot facilitieɛ have always Leen surstantiully cheaper thin those in any rival port in that part of the world. To be ubit again to provide the trade of all the world with a free port, with chep facilities, it is necessary that we should have a cler declaration about the future of Hong- kone, otherwise we shall not get Eritish firms putting their capital back to recreate what may have been destroyed by the Japunete.
i am not wo. ried about the future of Hong-Kong, because it is undoubtedly british and unue. the tlantic Chrter China cannot lay claim to British territory any more than we could lo claim to her teritory. The declaration regarding no unnexations tu.ely applies us between
llies. s the result of the cairo Conference Ching will geɩ vast new esponsibilities in formosa and Manchuria again, and will be very fully occupied thore. The rime Minister made no excep Lions in
nic statement that he did not propose to liquidate the British Empire. It is essential tht we should have u definite Leclaration of policy from the Government us to the future of Hong-kong and of the ut aits Settlements and of Colonies generally us we must encourage British capital to go back and recre: te the facilities which are su important to the prosperity and welfare or the people concerneŭ. Further, some melsure of credit assistance from the british Government may be needed il we ure to recreate those facilities. As regaros the ¿vernment of the Colony, in the past Fong-Pong, on the whole, has been a happy Colony.
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