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asked to prepare an appreciation of how best to prevent illegal entry of refugees into the Colony by sea.

4. The Chiefs of Staff understand that a meeting of Colonial Governors is being held shortly in Singapore to be followed by a meeting of the British Defence Co-ordination Committee, Far East, at which the defence of Hong Kong will be the main item for discussion. They have therefore instructed me to convey the gist of the attached paper and the Appendixes to the Commanders-in-Chief Committee, Far East, and to say that they will have no objection to similar instructions being sent by the Colonial Office to the Far East.

5.

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The Chiefs of Staff will be considering the wider strategic implications of the situation in China at their meeting early next week.

yours sincerely

PROD

in heaverfised.

J. C. Morgan, Esq., Colonial Office.