CO537-(205_1260-1262) — Page 77

a.

00064

ferent picture from that

era' Report, and it seems to

n a different perspective.

tee state that the effective

ison is not a sufficient

nese War Lord. It may not 'be

total withdrawal of the

self encourage or provoke

re to develop on the scale

visaged no gendarmerie could cessfully. We fully realise

LB of manpower shortage some

ther the Chiefs of Staff nor

itherto had the advantage in

·light of Potuationtation.com an alternative Gesat survey

Kong, and we hope you will

emature to tackle the

ocal gendarmerie designed to

on until this new survey

Ref.:

CO 537/1260

THE NATIONAL ARCHIVES

N

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

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

fence Committee will no doubt

8 on the Hong Kong Committee's

eived, they, together with the

before the Chiefs of Staff, and

ld propose, postpone

quation till the

: question of the gendarmerie

reefs of Staff have considered

00065

Ref.i

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 copyright

are alltinative para. attached for common

ard

J..

position to take over their commitments and the movement of Chinese troops through Kowloon has ceased, however, they consider that it would be sufficient to have one of the above brigades and - one regiment of artillery at call from S.E.A.C.

reserve and not necessarily permanently stationed

in the Colony.

/w111

[The South East Asia Defence Committee will no doubt soon be giving their comments on the appreciation and these may involve some consideration

of the policy laid down in CO8 telegram 021403 of the 3rd April, namely that the garrison will remain at two brigades at present, but be reduced to one when the police force is fully established.

At any rate, this development seems to us to rule out any prospect of the withdrawal of all the

troops within the foreseeable future.]

The two other and rather less important factors which ought, we think, to be given some consideration before any detailed scheme for a gendarmerie is prepared concern man-power and finance. We do not see that there would be any great saving in British man-power if the gendarmerie were, like the Palestine Police, to contain a high proportion of Europeans, as these Europeans

would probably be selected from serving soldiers or young men about to be called up for the forces; and, on finance, Hong Kong is grant-aided and the Treasury would have to be consulted in regard to the cost of the gendarmerie. They may take the line that since the cost of raising the gendarmerie would in effect fall on the British taxpayer, they would have to be satisfied that it was quite

impossible for troops to be retained in Hong Kong,

at

I