CO537-(205_1260-1262) — Page 526

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Mr. Acheson 9/11

Mr.

Mr.

Mr.

Joyle 19/11 Lemma 19/1

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Secretary of State.

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89

DRAFT.

LETTER.

GROUP CAPTAIN D.C. STAPLETON, D.F.C., A. F.C.,

CABINET. OFFICES.

(83)

For Sir G. Gater's signature.

Thank you for your letter

(No. Cos.1385/6) of the 8th November about the question of a gendarmerie for

Hong Kong.

We are very glad te-eee that

the Chiefs of Staff have accepted the view that a British garrison must be retained in Hong Kong at present.

They

when

2

Ref.:

CO 537/1261

THE NATIONAL ARCHIVES

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

Please note thatctions Funther information is given in the anclosed Terms and Conditions of supply of National Archives' leafet

N

FURTHER ACTION.

Rear quot

The AD Trends th

M 82

feel, however, that ultimately, conditions in China permit, this garrison

should be withdrawn and replaced by a

gendarmerie, and have invited us to

discuss with the War Office the preparatin

of plans for the formation of a

gendarmerie for this purpose.

Our general view, as I think

the Chiefs of Staff were aware, is that

future developments in China are BO

indefinite that plans prepared in well may present circumstances will probably be largely inapplicable by the time the question of the withdrawal of the British garrison becomes a practical issue, and

that planning at this state is scarcely

likely to serve any useful purpose.

Moreover, the establishment of a

/gendarmerie