main objects in extending the period of National Service was o enable men so enlisted to be used overseas and while not wishing to limit the discretion which would have to be exercised by the Secretary of State for War in deciding the precise composition of this Brigade Group, the Comittee were. quite firmly of the view that the despatch of very young National Servicemen could not be defended in Parliament. ΤΟ avoid this it might well be necessary for the War Office to reinforce units due to go to the Far East from other sources.
Further points in discussion were:-
(a) Hong Kong was a British Colony and in quite a
(b)
different category from, say, Shanghai. The despatch of reinforcements would bring confidence not only to the British community there but also to the Chinese. Failure to send reinforcements would have a bad effect on the morale of both communities, which are in doubt whether His Majesty's Government intend to leave the Colony to its fate.
In speaking of defending the Colony against any threat from the mainland the term 'Hong Kong included not only the Island, but also the leased territory on the mainland without which there would be no depth to the defences and no airfield.
(c) The Chiefs of staff were assuming that the threat of
air attack to the Colony was negligible. Was there not a chance that the whole of the Chinese Nationalist Air Force would go over to the Communists and con- stitute a potential threat?
(d) In response to an invitation to the Secretary of State for the Colonies from the Cabinet (C.M.(49) 18th Conclusions, Minute 2 (3)) to consider further what action might be taken to lessen and counter Communist activities in Hong Kong, THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR COLONIAL AFFAIRS said that the Governor of Hong Kong was proposing to take powers to make illegal any parties in Hong Kong which were affiliated to parties in China. The local police had been greatly strengthened and a Corps of volunteers was being organised to deal with possible sabotage.
?
(e) In view of the time that would inevitably be involved
in moving reinforcements from the United Kingdom to Hong Kong it might be necessary temporarily to detach a battalion from Malaya to Hong ong, and plans to move such a unit by air had already been made by the Commanders-in-Chief. In deciding whether or not to order the move the Commanders-in-Chief would naturally take into account all relevant factors, including the obvious undesirability of withdrawing a battalion from operations in Malaya unless it was absolutely necessary. They would also have to come to the Air Ministry if any additional airlift was required.
(f)