CO537-4825 — Page 11

but only the memories of some of his probably extremely hard-pressed officers. If I may be forgiven for saying so, I have a distinct feeling from the tone of (6) and other evidence that he will not welcome further prodding from the Colonial Office at the momen I would therefore not send the

Felegram.

I am aware of having trespassed to some extent on the Geographical Department s field in the above,

desirable in all the circumstances to

tabu the whole picture as it appears to Defence

give

Department

THE COPY-

THE ORIGINALHAS BEEN RETAINED

IN THE DEPARTMENT UNDER

SECTION 3 (4) OF THE ****

PUBLIC RECORDS ACT 1958

Mr Paskin

13.12.48

ཇི 41: བ

With reference to the foregoing minutes, relative to Mr. Rees-Williams' minute above No. 6, I readily agree with Mr. Trafford Smith that this is part of the whole question of the threat to Hong Kong, plans to meet which the Commanders-in-Chief and the Governor have got to work out. But Just as in No. 6 the Governor emphasises the fact that

frontier guard duties are one of the jobs appropriate to the Defence Force in conjunction with the Police and the Military, the guarding of the coastline is also a job equally appropriate for the naval unit of the new combined Defence Force in con- junction with the Police and, possibly, the Military also.

I am inclined also to

so share Mr. Trafford Smith's view at "y" in his minute. Sir A Grantham has got a very great deal on his plate’at the moment, and I think that we might well await the Commanders-in-Chief's recommendations before we take up this question of attempting to close the sea frontier of Hong Kong.

The Commanders-in-

Chief themselves have recently been up to Hong Kong, where manoeuvres have been held, and I think we may expect thịy own appreciation to be sent forward very shortly now.

Unless, therefore

Mr. Rees-Williams considers that we should be-armed with facts to meet possible enquiries from the Prime Minister or from elsewhere, I should be inclined, on the whole to wait for the picture presented by the Chiefs-of-Staff.

13.12.1948.

I have kept this for a day or two because I came across a reference to an appreciation by the Commanders-in-Chief, Far East, which had reached the Chiefs of Staff. * A Copy Ol' that document has now -been-obtained and is registered at No. 33 on

94001/28/48. It conteins, as an Appendix, an

/appreciation