3
We now knows that MC2-m.c.
not done back in
9/12, Singapore until & that a further appreciation from them. expected.
in wo
THIS IS A COPY
THE ORIGINAL HAS BEEN RETAINED IN THE DEPARTMENT UNDER
SECTION 3 (4) OF THE
PUBLIC RECORDS ACT 1958
preciation of "the forces required to garrison hg Kong, and to meet the need of evacuation of itish nationals from the China coast" bowment does not, howevery bear
understand that the Ministry of Defence do not gard it as the appreciation which was called (at our request) in the telegram at No. 20 that file and which (in No. 25 on that file) the G.H.Q. Singapore indicated that the Commanders-in- Chief would be sending after a visit to Hong Kong which was then due to end on the 3rd December. Moreover, whatever may be the status of that document, it has not yet received the blessing of the Chiefs of Starf. Nevertheless it is a recent expression of opinion from the Commanders-in-Chief and it contains some disturbing information, as to which I am minuting on 94001/28/48.
For the purpose of this file (which deals only with the desirability and practicability of closing the land and see frontiers or Hong Kong)it is sufficient to record that in paragraph 3 of the Appendix mentioned above, the Commanders-in-Chief have expressed the view that the garrison which they recommend for Hong kong would be sufficient to deal with the threat of external attack, the internal security threat, and could prevent more than a small number of refugees entering the Colony by land. Entry by sea, however, would be comparatively easy. This view having so recently been expressed by the Commanders-in-Chief, it seems unlikely that they will record any different conclusion in the further appreciation which the Ministry of Defence still seam to de expecting from them.
The difficulty which I at present see about now telegraphing further to Hong Kong on the lines of the draft on this file is that, in our telegrams at Nos. 5 and 10 on 94001/28/48 we have already put it upon the Governor to consider urgently what steps are needed to put Hong Kong into a state of preparedness and in their telegram at No. 20 on that file the Chiefs of Starf have asked the Commanders-in-Chief for an outline of the plans which they may consider necessary for aiding the civil power in emergency. If therefore the closing of the sea frontier is regarded as a desirable and practical measure we ought to be able to assume that the Governor, for his part, and the Commanders-in- Chief, for their part, will not overlook it in their appreciations. In other words, we have I think to be careful to avoid creating the impression that we in the Colonial Office doubt the capacity
of the authorities on the spot, and in Singapore, to think of these things for themselves. 乾的
At the same time, we are all here anxious that no aspect of the problem of putting Hong Kong into a state of preparedness should be overlooked or neglected. On other papers, Mr. Rees-Williams has I think indicated that he is not satisfied that we should too lightly refrain from exploring the possibility of recruiting some Assyriens es a sort of gendarmerie for Hong Kong.
/I suggest