CO537-4998 — Page 262

2.

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EFERENCE: C.O.§. 96/14/1/9.

TOP SECRET

Tel. No.: Whitehall 7000

28

50

Dear Morgan,

MINISTRY OF DEFENCE,

STOREY'S GATE,

S.W.1

14th January, 1949.

Card (24)

The Chiefs of Staff, at their meeting today, considered your letter (Ref. No. 94001/28/48) of 3rd December, 1948 and a letter from Trafford-Smith (Ref. No. 94001/28 of 6th January, 1949, about the defence of Hong Kong in the present emergency, together with a report by the Joint Planning Staff (J.P. (48) 124 (Final)) in so far as the paper dealt with the situation in Hong Kong.

2.

The Chiefs of Staff approved the attached report together with the Appendix, as amended, which I think answers most of the points raised in your letter and that from Trafford-Smith.

3. In the course of their discussion, consideration was given, amongst other things, to the following important points:-

(a) It was appreciated that there might be some political difficulty in erecting wire barriers along the land frontiers but in the opinion of the Chiefs of Staff, such an arrangement is a necessity if the expected influx of refugees is to be countered and controlled. In their

opinion, proper control of the frontier will involve fewer difficulties than the maintenance of internal order in the Colony in the event of a flood of refugees being allowed to enter.

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