13
or in providing the pay; but that any such expenses may
be so paid if, and s far as, moneys may be provided by
Parliament in any yer for that purpose. Since there
were bound to be divergencies between Colony and Colony in
the use to which the local force was put, the extent to
which the local defe: ce needed to be expanded, the extent
to which that expansion was affected by naval use of the
port, and the ability of the Colony to pay, the Admiralty
represented that it was impossible to lay down any hard
and fast rule, which could equitably be applied to all
Colonies alike, and suggested that each case would neod
to be considered on : enits.
the
Turning to the particular territorie s
immediately concerne:, namely Hong Kong, Malaya and
Trinidad, it was ago ed that in the circumstances the
R.N.V. R. anit in Malaya would have to be paid for from
Colonial funds, at 1: ast so long as it continued to be
employed only for pus poses of local defence.
In Hong
Kong it was understood that one officer and four ratings
had been lent to the Admiralty, although the unit hed not
been formally placed at the disposal of the Admiralty.
It was understood the t the Admiralty were already paying
these five men. Fo: the rest, the cost of the force would
continue to be a Hong Kong liability, on the understanding
that, as in the case of Malaya, the matter would require
farther consideration if the Force should cease to be
employed solely for purposes of local defence.
regards Trinidad, Mr. Monson pointed out that Trinidad hað
aesuneá a large recu: rent liability in connection with the
defence scheme for the oil refineries, and that the limit
of this expenditure in military and air defence was not
yet known. He felt olear, however, that the cost of
A3
maintaining