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Page 8 Thursday, June 26, 1969
The wrong time for Mr. Healey
This is not the right time for Britain's Defence Minister, Mr. Denis Healey to ask the Hongkong Government to pay more for a bigger garrison after Britain's military pullout of South-East Asia in 1971.
This is a time we believe many people in Hongkong are somewhat disillusioned with Britain for not fulfilling her obligations to her own Colony. And a time when with the softening in Peking towards Hongkong, nothing. should be done which could be misconstrued by the Chinese as being offensive.
Britain's reluctance to help Hongkong with that all important loan for the airport runway extension caused much heart-burning. Lord Shepherd's visit did not help to clear the disappointment.
Now, if there are plans to increase the garrison, there is the possibility that these plans might incur the ire of the Communist lords on the other side. In the first place, why increase the garrison when the garrison does not need increase?
The present garrison serves the purpose, and there is no reason to believe otherwise in the future. Britain would not really want to use
· Hongkong as a base or a springboard for military activities that would make it necessary for a large number of troops to be stationed here.
While Hongkong should be willing to make contributions, whenever possible, to Britain's ailing economy, the main responsibility of the Hongkong Government is to its own people. Its generosity, therefore, should not stretch beyond the needs of the people.
After all, it is Britain's duty to keep the Colony adequately protected, and her subjects living in security. If it is necessary for Britain to enlarge the garrison,, then this should be done without causing an additional burden to the Colony.
The British pullout of forces from this region is to save so much of the British taxpayers' money. It would take only a small fraction of this saving for Britain to maintain more troops in Hongkong, to meet her.
er own needs,
'Hongkong is already paying $80 million out of a total defence cost of $260 million. Rather than increase the amount, Britain should endeavour to decrease or to eliminate this cost to her Colony after 1971.
AEL ---- on h fidaato
'1
34
NATO defence
men disturbed
NATO defence plan-
ners are counting Rus- sian ships instead of sheep in their beds at " night as they try to guess Soviet intentions in the Mediterranean.
Soviet fighting strength in the sensitive area fringing the Arab world grew to an all-time high about 60 ships including guided mis- sile cruisers and submarines
last April.
1
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J
For the past two months the Russians have been keeping their fleet at a con- stant level of about 50 ships, according to NATO
sources.
But the thought that dis- turbs NATO strategists most is that the Russians may try to bring in their planes as well, and tip the balance of power in the Mediterranean.
This concern was reflect- ed in a communique issued by air force chiefs of the United States, Britain, Italy, Greece and Turkey who met in Naples recently to assess the Soviet build-up in the Mediterranean.
The communique said that any increase in Soviet air power in the Mediterra- nean would pose a potential threat to NATO's southern flank.
Power
It referred not only to Soviet air power but to that of Arab countries friendly to the Soviet Union.
NATO concern about # possible Soviet nir build-up-- stems from the belief
(K)
modern me kn would leave a big fleet with. out air support.
With this thought in mini, NA10 mqrels 98 rimsly watching itumian
As
Soviet
build-
in tho
Mid-
Middle East with arus shi ments and the stationing Russian advisers in so1 Arab countries.
"Here we see in anoth
by ERNEST
form the Soviet exp sionism that was checked Europe 20 years ago," says.
He describes Soviet a vities in the Middle East
calculated Soviet eff to alter the strategic bala along NATO's south flank."
ince the Soviet Uhi „17% built up ita Medi rajian Beet 10 abor shiji in 1967, following
die hust
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