CO129-318 - Governor Sir Blake - 1903 [7-10] — Page 442

No. 33

Hongkong.

3

C.0.

37017

Government House, RFC

Hongkong, 10th September 1908 12 001 03)

439

You

22916 28723

Sir,

I have the honour to inform you that I have received from the Governor of the Straits Settlements a copy of a scheme drawn up by him at you request in connection with the recruiting and training of Police Officers for the Straits Settlements, Federated Malay States and Hongkong.

2.

es.

I have already submitted to you my views on this subject in my Despatch, No. 258 of the 20th May and 327 of the 1st July last. Sir Frank Swettenham's scheme, however, appears to me to be an admirable one and with possibly a few small modifications

might well be adopted. I enclose herewith a copy of a few notes by

the Colonial Secretary on certain points in the scheme on which

comment seemed necessary. I concur in the suggestions therein made;

and I further submit that if the amalgamation takes place a rule should be laid down whereby no police officer without a knowledge of

Chinese should be transferred to any post in the Police Force of this Colony below that of Captain Superintendent of the Police, without

the previous consent of the Governor of Hongkong.

September 191

2.

It occurred to me that the supervision of the entire amalgamated forces might, with good effect be entrusted to an

Inspector General, whose duties would include the inspection of

every force and the recommendation of transfers. A more economical

and equally beneficial arrangement, however, might be to have an officer of the Royal Irish Constabulary sent out periodically, say

every three years, to independently inspect all three forces and make FIGHT HONOURABLE

direct

JOSEPH CHAMBERLAIN, M.P..

*c..

&C.,'

1

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