452
founded, but I failed to remove it either in Committee or
in private conversations which I had with both gentlemen.
An
Arrangemani
The Sub-Committee, however, recorded the opinion that
compulsory Military Service should be introduced through-**
-out the Empire. In such case they argue that their em-
-ployees would have finished their training before they
came to Hongkong.
helosure 4.
6.
A Meeting of the Full Committee
was held on the 13th. of June. I attach a note of the
proceedings from which Your Lordship will learn that the
scheme met with support of 6 Un-official Members against
7 who voted against it. On the side of the opponents were,
however, ranged the large employers of labour, except Mr.
Shewan, and the most influential man on the Committee. It
was useless therefore to press the scheme further and I
intimated that the Government would abandon it.
At this Meeting a suggestion was
made that Compulsory Training might be applied to young
men between the ages of 18 and 20 years. It was thought
that such a scheme would not be opposed by the large
employers of labour seeing that the skilled employees
they import from England and elsewhere are more than 20
years of age on arrival here.
It