CO129-457 - Public Offices - 1919 — Page 622

CO129 Colonial Office Hong Kong Records 理藩院香港檔案 All

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employ armed force on his own initiative for similar pur-

poses should de deem such a step urgently necessary. 611

Various changes in the regulations are made in order to transfer the military authority formerly vested in the Governor-General to the Commander-in-Chief.

The above changes undoubtedly open a channel for a much needed reform through divesting the administr- ation of its military character, but at present the Governor-General remains a military officer with prac- tically undiminished powers and I have no doubt that, on the conclusion of General Akashi's term of office, arguments will be discovered to show the unwisdom of appointing a civilian in his place. This impression is strengthened by the existing tendency to regard the Island as an outpost of empire. The provision whereby the Commander-in-Chief is enabled to call out the troops to deal with internal disturbances without waiting to consult the Governor-General appears to pro- vide an opening for collisions between the civil and military authority an occurrence which is only too

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common in Japanese politics.

Various alterations are made in the organization

of the Government General which, however, mainly con- sist in calling old things by new names and are unlikely to have any very pronounced effect. The division of the Government-General into three sections, the Depart- ment of Civil Government, the Naval Staff Office and the Army Staff Office is abolished. In future the Government-General will include, besides the Secreteriat of the Governor-General, the six Bureau of Finance, Communications, Productive industries, Public Works, Police and the Judiciary and in addition there are the Railway Department and the Monopoly Bureau which are separate organizations. The Civil Governor becomes Director-General or Director of General Affairs (his English title has not yet been decided) and, in addition

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