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maintain public confidence in Hong Kong requiros that evacuation should be
deferred until the last possible moment. By that timo, whother evacuation
was nocossary bocause of invasion by the Chinose or because the internal
security situation had dotoriorated to an intolerable oxtont, conditions in
the built-up areas of Hong Kong and Kowloon, whore most of the potential
ovacucos livo, would be chaotic. It is probablo that trams, busos, forrios
and taxis would be out of servico and that the stroots would be so crowded
with people that privato cars would havo difficulty in moving; it is also
by no means inconceivablo that Communist mobs, smolling victory and swollod
by recruits to the winning sido, would bo out in pursuit of a number of
the people who wore to bo cvacuatod. In such circumstancos, any
largo-scale movement of evacucos would be impossible. At this stago, it
sooms likely that the police would bo over-strotchod, while British forcos
would be fully committod, on the frontior and assisting the police in tho
stroots. Even if ovacucos could be collected torothor, it sooms very
doubtful that the security forcos could give any help in protecting them in
transit arcas, embarkation points and on the way from one to the other.
Any congregation of ovacucos would be vulnerablo; thoy would at once
attract a crowd whose attitudo might woll bo hostilo.
Thoso dangors might
bo roduced if ovacuation woro to bo offoetod by night, but they would still
bo appreciablo.
10.
At such time it is likoly that airlincs would havo coased to operato
throuch Hong Kong. It is also possible that bombardmont, sabotago or
ovon human obstruction might put Kai Tak Airport out of commission and
provont its uso. Morchant shipping would avoid Hong Kong and ships in
port would not romain longer than was absolutely necessary.
Plan "DIGIT"
11.
A schomo was proparod in Hong Kong in the early 1950s for tho
cvacuation of 16,500 non- -Chinoso women, children and elderly mon; its
cxistenco is known only to the Governor, tho CBF and a small group of
Hong Kong Governmont officers. Apart from the fact that it is now
out-of-dato, it has the dofcct that no proparations whatsoever have boon
mado on the ground. It consists of sots of instructions to be issuod to
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