CO537-4998 — Page 238

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OUTWARD TELEGRAM.

FROM THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE COLONIES.

94001/28/49

Cypher (0.T.P.)

TO HONG KONG (Sir A. Grantham)

Sent 19th January, 1949. 13.30 hrs.

MOST IMMEDIATE

No. 73

Top Secret.

My top secret telegram No.56.

Hong Kong emergency measures.

Following for your information is text of telegram

from Ministry of Defence to General. Headquarters Far East Land Forces begins,

COSSEA 666

ar (10)

For FEDSEC.

15th January 1949.

For Commanders-in-Chief Committes from Chiefs of Staff.

Reference COSSEA 665.

ar (m.)....

Main points arising from our discussion with Colonial Office on defence of Hong Kong are as follows.

2.

The Threat.

(a) We think it unwise to plan on essumption that the threat will not develop before third quarter of 1949. Preparation of plane should therefore be pressed forward to meet an earlier threat.

(b) Threat of air attack is so remote that the proposed A.A. battery of H.K.D.F. should be adequate. This will not be operative until late 1950 and War Office have therefore been invited to consider what interim arrangements are required.

(e) Colonial Office stress the difficulty of effectively closing 200 miles of ses frontier without considerable Service assistancë. You should report, after consultation with Governor, Hong Kong, what arrangements you propose to make,

3.

Forces Available to meet Threat.

(a) Colonial Office consider, and we agree, that military and civil forces available and being formed will be inadequate to meet a serious threat arising in six to nine months time. Moreover, H.K.D.F. cannot remain mobilised fer long period without disrupting economic life of the Colony. Colonial Office has therefore suggested accelerating the raising of additional battalions of the Malay Regiment to free other troops for use in Hong Kong in emergency,

(b) We consider that in emergency you will be forced to free & Brigade Group from Halaya to reinforce Hong Kong. Present reinforcements of one Brigade Group to Far East Garrison will therefore be maintained until stable conditions in Malaya and Hong Kong are assured or the Gurkha Division and local forces are up to strength.

/(c)