CO537-(205_1260-1262) — Page 45

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Ref.:

THE NATIONAL ARCHIVES

CO 537/1260

2

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

resinctions

Further Information is given in the enclosed Terms and Conditions of supply of National

~W1. 19814,485 3/46 50m. 5. ks. lid

13031/4/46

Mr.

Lt.Col. Chalmers,

2/9.

Mr. Achalis or hersee mine

Mr...

Mr.

Mr.

Permi. U.S. of S.

Parly. U.S. of S.

Secretary of State.

DRAFT.

Rt. Hon. Malcolm

TOP SECRET.

00041

Macdonald, M.P.

howard be aber lo

(46)

call upon the housy and RAF for Guitarce

Garconscony. This

au gister documes hot

the examy wallent be subjectiò bany greater dangers than pusa and a posible alfimpled AuNCREASE

by Cherive querillas.

FURTHER ACTION.

I am writing to let you know how matters

stand here regarding the question of the garrison

The South East Asia Defence of Hong Kong.

Committee will, by now, have received the

Hong Kong Defence Committee's report (P/1/140/G(F)1),

a copy of which was sent to us by Sir Mark Young.

You will also be aware of the decision of the Defence Committee here to the effect that Hong

Kong should be regarded as an undefended Port and

The

that it could not be defended against a major

power in occupation of the mainland of China.

Defence Committee agreed, however, that Hong Kong

could be used as an operational Naval and Air

base in a war in the Pacific in which China was ih

friendly hands.

As a result of this policy and the stringent

Recently manpower situation the War Office have put

forward the suggestion that, as a long term policy,

from Hanging Army formations should be entirely withdrawn th

the

local defence of the Colony against guerillas

and raiders being undertaken by locally raised

gendarmerie with British officers and N.C.08.

The Chiefs of Staff have considered the question

on various occasions, the last being on the 25th

cms

CO 537/1260

THE NATIONAL ARCHIVES

Ref.:

t to copyrig

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 in the National Archives terms and conditions and that your use of it may be subject

Page 45Page 46

00041

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Ref.:

CO 537/1260

THE NATIONAL ARCHIVES

to the N

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Please note that this copy is supplied subsect to the intercored Terms and Conditions of supply of National Archives' leaflet.

restrictions

w how matters

n of the garrison

Bia Defence

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port (P/1/140/G(F)1),

y Sir Mark Young.

cision of the

fest that Hong

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ainst a major

and of China.

The

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Naval and Air

which China was in

and the stringent

revally

ce have put

a long term policy,

from Argent

ely withdrawn, the

inet guerillas

locally raised

rs and N.C.08.

ered the question

being on the 25th

July/