CO537-(205_1260-1262) — Page 44

00039

B

th reference to your

T.C. of the 14th July,

• Plan for Hong Kong, in

w the present situation here.

at the Defence Committee have

at Hong Kong should be

'ended Port and that it could

net a major power in

inland of China. It could

an operational Naval and Air

Pacific in which China was

00040

N

Pat

CO 537/1260

"THE NATIONAL ARCHIVES

restrictions Further information is given in the enclosed Terms and Conditions of supply of National Archives' leaflet

Please note that this copy is supplied subject to the National Archives' terms and conditions and that your use of it may be subject to copyrig

N

A

and writially Rad in mind

componite Fora on the modil the Paleo tare Place,

their-recommendation that the proportion

of European personnel should be as high as

circumstances permitted, They also agreed to

defer consideration of the proposal to

withdraw British Froces from Hong Kong until

the organisation and training of the Police

Force was nearing completion.

Since the Chiefs of Staff meeting on

the 25th July, we have received a letter from

the War office asking us to consider the

question of raising a Police Force or

Gendarmerie for the Defence of Hong Kong if

We

the Army formations are withdrawn.

forwarded

have replied by forwarding to the War office

Fakinately you

Disportit. Aamshed

Us at about the pome time.

the Hong Kong Defence Committee paper (P/1/10/G(F)1,

together with the copy of the Governor General's

telegram,

and as a seamet nothing further

We have stressed with the War Office

is likely to be done

the views expressed in that paper regarding the

atrength of the Garrison required in Hong Kong.

We have suggested to them that further consideration

further

of the matter should be deferred until the comments

of the S.E.A. Defence Committee on the Hong Kong

Committee's report have been received and

studied by the Chiefs of Staff,

That is where the matter rests at present.

We shall, no doubt, receive the observations of the

S. E.A. Defence Committee on the Hong Kong Committee's

plan in due course, and when these have been considered

here, we will let you know how matters stand.

his policy and the stringent

Acceably

he War Office have put

Lon that, as a long term policy,

uld be entirely withdrawn,

the Colony against guerillas

ndertaken by local aźneď

itish Officers and N.C.08

have considered the question

B,

the last being on the 25th

ey invited the War Office to

nial Office, the question of the

a

th and composition of/Hong Kong micquoted havrunt,

ng in mind their recommendation

that/

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2

CO 537/1260

THE NATIONAL ARCHIVES

In

Ref: Please note that this copy is supplied subject to the National Archives' terms and conditions and that your use of it may be subject to copyrigh

restrictions Further information is given in the enclosed Terms and Conditions of supply of National Archives' leaflet