(118281) Dd. 391599 1,500м 2/69 Hw.
NOTHING TO BE WRITTEN IN THIS MARGIN
TOP SECRET
RegistryHong Kong
No.
HKK 10/8
SECURITY CLASSIFICATION
Top Secret.
Exiftential.
PRIVACY MARKING
DRAFT LETTER
To:-
D. Riley, Esq.,
Room 446,
Civil Aviation 4(B),
Board of Trade,
Shell Mex House, W.C. 2.
Type 1 +
From
16
A.W. Gamanava
Telephone No. & Ext.
Department
..In Confidence
sentin
Coppies with
without enclosures To: (1) J. Clayton Ess. Sea Transport Brand Board of Trade, 34-36 Parlament
S.W..
(3) A.R. Axton ESQ.
D.5.5
M.O.D.
fs.
ANG.69.
1.8.69.
Ar
Carr.
$
The Requisition of Ships Order 1955
We should be grateful for your views on one point
relating to the above subject. The matter is of long standing and I am accordingly giving you the following background information.
Rezer
The
J
Since the early 1950's plans have been held in readiness for requisitioning shipping for the evacuation of Hong Kong in the event of an emergency. necessary requisitioning powers were originally provided under United Kingdom Defence Regulations but in 1955 those Regulations lapsed and the Royal Prerogative was then invoked by way of an Order in Council which took power to requisition British ships wherever they might be,for the same purpose. Order in Council was never published or brought into force; it was, and still is, held in readiness against
the occurrence of an emergency in Hong Kong. amended in 1958 merely in order to bring it up to date and the amending Order has likewise never been published. Copies of the two Orders in question are
now enclosed, It will be seen that the Orders are again out of date and the third enclosure to this letter is
which is intended the draft of a further Order in Council to remedy this
situation.
The
It was
It will be noted that none of the Orders provides
for the requisitioning of aircraft. The possibility of so providing was, in fact, considered in some detail at the time that the Orders were made and indeed
the point was raised by the Governor of Hong Kong in his Top Secret Telegram No.228 of 15 March, 1955. The reasons why the requisitioning of aircraft was not provided for in the Orders was given in the Secretary of State for the Colonies' Top Secret Telegram No.277
/ of