j.
Revised 4th April, 1949.
Enclosure No. $.
TOP SECRET
MANPOWER AND INTERNAL SECURITY
Memorandum prepared in the Colonial Secretariat, Hongkong
1.
P
24th March, 1949.
The threat to the security of this territory, when it comes, is virtually certain to include internal wrest. Indeed this is likely to be the enemy's main weapon. It is also the most immediate danger.
2.
To meet this internal threat arrangements must be made to re- inforce the Police Force and to operate the public utilities and other essential services by moans of reliable volunteer manpower. It is clearly preferable that these tasks could be carried out by those of the civilian population who can be relied on rather than by the Services, since the nature of the duties requires local knowledge and experience rather than orthodox military training. These duties must therefore be the first
charge on reliable civilian maripower.
3.
It is open to question whether the reliable manpower likely to be available is sufficient to ensure the maintenance of law and order and the continuance of essential services. Until this doubt has been resolved · it would be an unwarrantable dispersal of resources to commit any of the available manpower to other duties.
40
How many men and women are required for internal security duties and the maintenance of essential services? The requirement is very roughly as follows:
(a)
Regular police duties
4,000
(b)
Auxiliary police duties
1,500
(c)
Static guards and patrols (Additional to
police duties)
1,500
(a)
Fublic utilities and other essential services
(in addition to those normally engaged on
such duties)
3,000
(e)
One infantry battalion of the H.K.D.F.
(i.e. the only unit of the H.K.D.F. under
the present establishment, which is designed to contribute directly to the maintenance of law and order)
*9
1,000
TOTAL:
11,000
Assuming therefore that the Police Force will prove reliable, about six thousand additional civilian volunteers will be needed for duties in con- nection with internal security and essential services alone. If the Police Force proves to be less than 100% reliable then more civilian volunteers will be required.
5.
It would by no means be true to say that no Chinese will come forward to support the British regime in Hong Kong when the stress develops: but most Chinese will be neutral and in proportion to the total
For population the Chinese who can be relied on will be few in number. the reinforcements of the police therefore and the maintenance of essential services, the Hong Kong Government must for the most part rely on the non- Chinese population.
5.
The non-asiatic population of the Colony is roughly as follows:
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