ANNEX
COMILIND OF THE SERVICES IN HONG KONG
Draft Letter to the Colonial Office
We refer to your minute 1301/10/46, of 13th May
to the Secretary of the Chiefs of Staff Committee, enclosing a draft telegram to the Governor of liong Kong informing him of the arrangements for the command of the three Services now that Hong Kong is under Civil Administration.
2.
In the light of our proposals for the standardisation of civil and Service co-ordination in the Colonies set out in a separate letter we have given further consideration to the arrangements for Hong Kong put forward in J.P.(46) 34,
We now feel which was forwarded to you on 17th April.
J.P.(46) 34, that the arrangement outlined in paragraph 14 of whereby the General officer Commanding Lund Forces would act as agent of the Inter-Service Committee in dealing with the Governor on matters of an inter-service nature, would be undesirable in that it would depart from the principle that each of the local commanders should have equal access to the Governor.
3. Although we appreciate that conditions in Hong Kong have not yet returned to normal, we do not think that the situation justifies a departure from the standard organisation which we are anxious to establish,
4.
We are therefore of the opinion that inter-service co-ordination should be undertaken by a committee of the three Service Commanders, and that civil and service co-ordination should be effected by means of a Local Defence Committee consisting of the Service Commanders
This arrangement under the Chairmanship of the Governor.
is similar to that already in force in Ceylon.
5.
We attach for your concurrence a draft telegram
to the Governor of Hong Kong, the terms of which are based on the organisation outlined in paragraph 4.
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soon as your agreement has been obtained, it is intended that the Service Ministries shall issue revised directives to their Service Representatives.
* J.P.(46) 102 ..nex
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Ref
CO 537/1262
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