CO537-(205_1260-1262) — Page 76

Ins

Leequalto altonative para.

00064

N

Ref:

CO 537/1260

THE NATIONAL ARCHIVES

Ins

2

Please note that this copy is supplied subject to the National Archives' terms and conditions supply of National Archivos leaflet. 1 your use of it may be subject in copynght

restrictions. Further information is given in the enclosed

1 Conditions

without. pary(5)

r. A faglesnor A Daadayed.

a detailed

Survey

News

This is a very different picture from that reflected in the Joint Planners' Report, and it seems to us to put the whole matter in a different perspective. The Hong Kong Defence Committee state that the effective strength of the present garrison is not a sufficient deterrent to attack by a Chinese War Lord. It may not be

en unfair inference that the total withdrawal of the

British garrison might in itself encourage or provoke

such an attack, and if it were to develop on the scale which the Local Committee envisaged no gendarmerie could

be expected to resist it successfully. We fully realise

that under present conditions of manpower shortage some

riske must be taken, but neither the Chiefs of Staff nor

the Defence Committee have hitherto had the advantage in

in the light of Bethuntinstation.com considering this problem of an alternative joint survey

Service and Civil authorities by the local staffe in Hong Kong, and we hope you will

agree that it will not be premature to tackle the

question of establishing a local gendarmerie designed to take the place of the garrison until this new survey

would

has been fully examined.

South East Asia Defence Committee will no doubt

soon be giving their comments on the Hong Kong Committee's

Report. When these are received, they, together with the

Report, will presumably come before the Chiefs of Staff, and in the circumstances we should propose, postpone

candicecation of the

Ahrefs of Staff

hase

Of Grach ANTWEurie

question, until the that the question of the gendarmerie

oknilə stand vor until the Cheeps of staff have comicelled

them.

า