CO129-441 - Governor Sir May - 1917 [1-3] — Page 147

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to His Majesty's Government for purposes of the war they would be placed in a very false position after the war is over. They point -ed out that they would be in a far worse position, for instance, than British subjects residing in the Treaty Ports of China who are now being required to attest before His Majesty's Consuls and whose services it is to be presumed will either be availed of by His Majesty's Government or declined for some good reason. I told these gentlemen that I sympathised with then in their difficulty and said that I would help them as far as I could.

3.

I enclose copy of the raply which I have caused to be sent to their letter of the 13th. instant, and I would strongly urge that if neither of the courses recommended by me in my Despatch under reference commends itself, then in the circumstances set out above the following procedure may provide a method of dealing with the situation. I would suggest that you should authorize me to:-

(a), enact legislation enabling me to enrol compulsorily

(if medically fit) in the Hongkong Volunteers all British subjects between the ages of 18 and 35; and in the Hongkong Volunteer Reserves all who are over 35 and under 55;

(b). call up so many of these as are required from

time to time for enrolment;

(o). appoint a commission under Ordinance 13 of 1886

to report how many and which members of the Hongkong Volunteer Corps or Hongkong Volunteer Reserve can be spared for Military service out- -side the Colony having regard to the interests of the trade and commerce of the Colony; (d). issue to the remaining members of the Hongkong

Volunteer Corps and Hongkong Volunteer Reserva certificates to the effect that their services

are