CO537-4825 — Page 48

1

NOTE ON CONTROL OF ENTRY BY SEA INTO THE

COLONY OF HONG KONG.

7

Chaps I (A)

Chop VI (E)

54064/41

(43)

(48)

(53)

(60)

1.

i

box.

20

A map showing the sea-board of the Colony is in the

I

The Hong Kong Defence Scheme 1936 mentions that there

are many possible landing-beaches and that the length

of the perimeter to be guarded (land plus sea) must always

be a serious source of weakness.

It is noted that the coast-watching system consists of

a series of shore-watching posts, supplemented by naval

and police launch patrol boats. The significant phrase

Occurs "additional launches will be provided by the naval

authorities as soon as possible so that continuous patrolling

can be maintained".

3. In September 1941 the Chiefs of Staff recommended that (stricter)

measures for the control of entry of Chinese into Hong

intirdmand

་

Kong should be made more etrengthened, In reply, in

telegram No.1101 of the 26th September 1941, the Governor

said that a scheme for checking illicit entry by, junk was

being worked out and would, he hoped, come into operation

very shortly. He also said that the scheme related to the

Colony as a whole, not to the Island only. The Secretary

of State asked to be told how the measures worked out in

practice, but in the event no such report ever came.

(1113) on

4.

One of the War Office instructions to the C.C.A.0.

54144/40(2)/45 during the Military Administration in Hong Kong in 1945/6

(2) m

54144/43/3/45

The

was to "control, so far as possible the influx of civilians

by land and sea". In fact manpower shortage and/conditions made it impossible to enforce any such policy.

5. Writing in March, 1948, on immigration control, the

Colonial Cecretary, Hong Kong, says:-

"The