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13031/4/46 No.26 paras. 4 & 6.

Do. No. 57

Do. para.6

(B)

Do. para. 5

(D)

Do. No. 68.

1.

2.

On the defence aspects the position, as regards defence arrangements in relation to Hong Kong is as follows:-

(a) The Defence Committee of the Cabinet have agreed that Hong Konį should, as far as fixed defences are concerned, be regarded as an undefended Port, on the basis that under conditions of modern warfare Hong Kong could not be defended against attack by a major power in occupation of the Chinese mainland.

(b) On the other hand the Hong Kong civil and military authorities, supported by the British Defence Committee, South East Asia, have said that the possibility of an attack on a considerable scale by Chinese war lords or guerillas armed with modern weapons cannot be discounted. They have therefore recommended that precautions against such a develop- ment should be taken, and that these should include the retention of some British troops in Hong Kong since the total withdrawal of all British troops would invite attack.

(c) Nevertheless, for manpower reasons the War Office are most anxious to reduce the Hong Kong garrison, and the authorities in Hong Kong und South East Asia have agreed that as soon as the Hong Kong Police and the recently reformed Volunteer Force have reached an adequate standard of efficiency (estimated date about April 1947) the present British garrison of 2 Brigades and 2 Field Artillery Regiments could be reduced to one of each, provided that another Brigade and another Field Artillery Regiment are available in South East Asia capable of being rapidly transported to the Colony in case of need. It is clear that the Committee contemplated that facilities would be made available for the transport of these forces in case of need by air, and the Governor of Hong Kong, who was present when these matters were discussed by the British Defence Committee, South East Asia, attached much importance to this point. Further they agreed that half a Flying Boat Squadron is an adequate air garrison for Hong Kong, on the basis that in an emergency Hong Kong should be re- inforced by a Fighter Squadron from Malaya. They added that means for arranging for the Fighter Squadron and the military reinforcements to be flown to Hong Kon were being investigated.

(d) All these proposals have been referred to the Joint Planners who are preparing a paper on them for the Chiefs of Staff. The draft of this paper in its present (not its final) form proposes, very naturally, to accept the reduction in the Hong Kong garrison next April.

It now appears that the possibility of reinforcing the military garrison of Hong Kong effectively by air is under present conditions extremely problematical, and that fighter aircraft could not operate from the existing Hong Kong aerodrome by night. I agree that these considerations

give us grounds for inviting the Air Ministry to accept the view that the provision of improved aerodrome facilities is desirable for defence reasons. I doubt whether in communicating with the Air Ministry

/we

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