12
Proposals in connection with the Indian contingent were discussed with Mr. Sansom to-day.
In addition to the arguments set out in the telegram at 21, Mr. Sansom put forward the following:-
(a)
37
Before the war the Indian contingent was employed on regular police duties. It is now proposed that the duties of the contingent should be confined to those of a semi-military nature involving the creation of three small groups of men the emergency unit on the Island, the emergency unit on the mainland and the frontier force. Thèse differences in function he argued justify differences in constitution.
-
(b) The total strength of the contingent would in future be very much reduced and, of the 300 proposed, they would be split into three separate groups of roughly 100 men each. It would be impracticable and uneconomical that duplication of quarters, cooking facilities, telephones and religious facilities should be provided for each of these small groups. (c) ir. Sansom believed that the India Office and the Indian Government would, in fact, welcome an opportunity or preventing Sikhs from "straying up and down the China coast". He said that before the war they had been anxious to control the chain of Indian
political agents which linked up with America,
It was agreed that we should now put to the India Office the Governor's proposals as contained in the despatch at 31 and reinforced by his telegrams at 32, 37 and the points mentioned by Mr. Sansom above.
On the two questions raised in the Treasury's letter at 38 (referred to at X in my minute above) Mr. Sansom said that as the high cost of living allowance was largely connected with the high cost of food, and as the Indian Police were to get free rations, he did not think that they need be given the high cost of living allowance. He confirmed that the Chinese contingent who did not get free rations do and should get the high cost of living allowance.
He
I agreed that in our reply to the Governor's despatch
we might say that this point had been discussed with him.
Draft letter to the India Office herewith.
29.11.46.
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