NOTHING TO BE WRITTEN IN THIS MARGIN
CONTA
Last year it had
(majar
1 to £20 m1
iffon.
righr
been 15 million.
There were no administrative
problems: the new pay scales were all néady.
He had drawn the attention of Mr. Hattersley
of improving
to the ways to
conditions, which were
not as good as for the troops in Singanore,
for instance. There was a housing problem
as in the rest of the Colony. There was
very little military crime. The main
problem was political to give the public
confidence in the defence forces. The
authorities tried to play down the new defence
arrangements that the Pritish Government were
adopting in Asia.
22. When asked about mixing with the local
population Sir Pasil Eugster said it was
difficult to arrange this though efforts were
made. When asked about the Gurkhas he said
that they presented no problem but arrange-
would have to be made for them to bet some
3 outside
spend
time out of the Colony if they were
permanently stationed there.
•
Sir David Trench pointed out that the
over the
main problem with defence contribution was one
of presentation.
23. Mr. Stewart asked whether there were
other points which anyone wished to raise
with the British Government.
24. Sir David Trench said that in general
there was not as much trust as there should be
between the two Governments. There were
many pinpricks. Of coursethe good things
did not attract attention. But basically
confidence in Britain's friendship towards
Hong Kong was not good.
!
Local people felt
/that the