The General Officer Commanding in China and Hongkong,
To
His Excellency
The Governor of Hongkong.
・
Your Excellency,
I am quite prepared to detach temporarily a force of 1,500 men (Infantry and Artillery) to effect the reduction of Kowloon City and of Sham Chung should it be decided to add these towns to British Territory. The strength of my garrison would in my opinion justify not only this reduction, but would enable me afterwards to assist the civil power in keeping order in these towns as in other parts of the new territory.
But if it is in contemplation to largely increase the territory by extending the boundary line, taking in, as I understand, a populous and a turbulent District, then I certainly consider that my present strength is altogether inadequate for a permanent occupation of large tracts of ground far removed from my base, and the police of which would probably for...