CO129-407 - Public Offices & Others - 1913 — Page 150

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in the Hong Kong Police terminating, either by

requiring them to lodge a sufficient sum of money for

the purpose or by some other means.

It has further been brought to the notice of

the Council that British Infantry are being used in

Hong Kong for long periods as Special Constables in

augmentation of the Civil Police Force.

Though the Council do not wish to hamper the

Civil Authorities by withdrawing these men before there

has been time to make other arrangements, I am to

inform you,

for the information of Hr.Secretary Harcourt,

that they consider this is an improper use to which to put the Garrison, the strength of which is calculated

at the minimum considered essential for the safety of

the Port in the event of external aggression.

Should relations with any power in the Tar

East become strained it would be necessary to recall the !

British troops employed as Special Constables to their

Military duties at the very time when the maintenance

of order among the Civil population would be most

difficult and most essential.

The Council deprecate the practice of

employing troops as Special Constables and hope that the strength of the Civil Police Force will be increased

sufficiently to admit of its maintaining order

throughout the Colony under all probable circumstances,

and that the troops will in future only be called on

to

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