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COLONIAL OFFICE VIE: S
OUR COMMENTS
R.A.F.
Wo agree with the O's-in-C estimate of the R.A.F. requirement. The fighter squadron should suffice to maintain civilian morale if an occasional hostile aircraft was seen.
R.N.
We agroo with the Colonial Office as to the difficulty of preventing illegal entry by sea and consider that the Governor, advised by the Naval C-in-C, should be asked for an appreciation on the best method to prevent illegal entry by sea.
3. Refugee Problem
The importance of preventing an influx of refugees is stressed, since this would greatly increase the internal security and administrative commitments of the colony
Saturation point will be reached when the existing population is inervas d by another 100,000 although 250,000 refugees could be supported for a short time.
Closing the frontier will involve the use of wire to omalico cntry, but serious objections exist to beginning wiring exo.pt in places where it could by donu, ostensibly for other reasons.
Enfuctive closure would involve use of three infantry battalions in audition to Polic. and H.K.D.F.
If bloodshed resulted from closure of frontier, serious internal r.percussions would result.
Fully effective closure of the sea frontier would be difficult and would requir considerable service assistanceF
Wo.consider that the refugee problem is the moet Lanediate threat to the Colony, whether or not accompanied by strikes; the military authorities must clearly co-operate in chucking the influx of refugees.
All possible measures to check the influx should be taken forthwith and the civil and militar, authorities must tackle this problem together as a matter of urgency. In particular the advisability of erecting wire now should be re-examined by the civil and military authorities.
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