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warning
280
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(e) Australia has offered reinforcements (Common- wealth telegram No. 280 of 12th June), of:-
6,000 men by mid-July, a further
34,000 men by the end of August, in addition
to 2 Squadrons of aircraft.
We recommend that the Australian Government
should be requested to send one division and 2 Squadrons (in addition to the one now being sent) to Malaya as soon as possible and we attach a draft telegram to that effect for approval. In that telegram it will be seen that we are asking particularly for one of the Home Defence Militia divisions to be made available, since they alone are equipped.
Should this request be met, it will be
necessary to arrange for additional reserves of food and ammunition for the Malaya garrison at an early date.
(f) To show a firm front to Japan we should retain
at present both our battalions at Shanghai. Should however the U.S.A. prove willing to take over the policing of the British section of the International Settlement the question of the withdrawal of these units should be reviewed.
(g) We should retain our present garrison at Hong
Kong to fight it out if war comes. The presence of large numbers of British women and children at Hong Kong would be a serious embarrassment and since evacuation might not be possible in the event of a sudden Japanese attack we recommend that they should be moved now, either to the Philippine Islands or to Australia. We do not think that the
Japanese would interpret this step as a sign of weakness, rather the reverse.
(h) We recommend that authority be accorded now to
the Governor of Malaya to institute the necessary measures to bring the Malayan defences up to a state of readiness, which will enable them to be fully effective within five days
We submit a draft telegram at
Annex II.
Cabinet War Room.
(Signed) C.S. DANIEL.
I. S. O. PLAYFAIR.
W.F. DICKSON.
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