CO129-497 - Public Offices - 1926 — Page 307

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which might at some later date prove of use as a base for

long distance bombing operations, pointed out that at the

moment the Japanese did not possess any long distance

bombing machines and that the air force maintained in

Formosa by Japan Consisted only of four old machines and

was in reality merely a police organization,

The question of the Japanese air base at Formosa

was again raised by the Admiralty in April, 1925, and

the matter was referred to the Chiefs of Staff Sub-

Committee who prepared a report on the subject (0.1.D.

Paper No. 248-0). In that report the Chiefs of Staff

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"We do not consider that, in ite present state, the station can be held to be a violation of Article 19 of the Washington Naval Treaty, but if, at any future date, it should be so expanded as to be capable of providing accommoda- tion for a military unit, we are of opinion that such expansion would constitute a definite breach of the treaty".

"With regard to the second question, namely,

whether it would be more advantageous for this country to make a formal protest to the Japanese Goverment at the present juncture, or to wait in case at any future time we might wish to establish an air base at Hong-Kong, we are informed that the cost of establishing such a base would, owing to the difficult nature of the terrain, be very great."

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"We do not consider that any air menace to Hong-

Kong exists at present from China, since the Ohinese only possess a few aircraft which could be kept in check by our machines flown off oarriers as soon as such vessels are stationed on the China station.”

"We learn, however, that Canton has fallen under

Bolshevist influences and that assistance of various kinds may be given to the Chinese authorities there by the Russian Soviet Government. In course of time such assistance might take the form of a development of Chinese air forces. Should such developments take place, or in the event of the growth of the present unrest in China, the Government might deem it necessary, in order to safeguard our interests in that country, to establish an air base at Hong-Kong in spite of the great expense involved.

This report was approved by the Committee of Imperial Defence at their 202nd Meeting (27th July, 1925).

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