Draft Letter to G.. Boyd Shannon, sq., Ottawa: H.. The Rt. Hon. E.J. «illians,
Canberra:
H... Sir Iatrick Lurr: H. The Hon. Cirvelyn Baring
TOP SECRET
de have already informed all the other Commonwealth Covernments, in telegrams H.No.207 and H.No.211 of the decisions taken by the United Kingdom Government about the reinforcement of the Hong Kong garrison.
we feel that it is essential that the Governments of
Canada, australia, New Zealand and South Africa should
have the same information as is available to ourselves and we are anxious that they should have a full picture or the background against which the decisions already reported were taken. I therefore enclose two copies of reports by the United kingcom Chiefs of Staff (a) on the threat to Hong kong, and (b) on the cefence of Hong Kong respectively, together with two copies of a note by the ar urrice on the anti-aircraft defence or the Colony. I should be glad if
you would hand one copy of each of the enclosed documents
to the appropriate Minister or, if you consider it more
suitable, to the Chief of staff concerned, for his top
secret information. It is not proposed at the present
stage to communicate these documents to the Governments of
India, iakistan or Ceylon, but copies are being sent to
the United kinguom High Comissioners in those countries
for their own information. for the present pending a
decision as to the approach to those Covernments.
In handing over these documents you should mention
the following considerations, which were before Ministers
nore./