CO129-504-18 Food supply for the civilian population in event of war 7-4-1927 - 12-12-1927 — Page 21

SECRET.

Sir,

GOVERNMENT HOUSE,

HONGKONG, 7th April, 1927.

{

21

For 23833/26

I have the honour to acknowledge the

receipt of your secret despatch of the 16th February

on the subject of food supplies for the civil popu-

lation in the event of war.

2. A complete record is on file here of the

manner in which the machinery for the supply of

foodstuffs was organised during the crisis of 1925.

3. As regards the situation which would arise in the event of a war occurring with (say) Japan, it is to be presumed that, unless the authorities of the Kuang-tung province co-operated with our enemies, the cutting off of supplies from outside sources would not apply either to the land frontier or to the numerous localities in the neighbouring parts of China with

which there is constant communication by means of small craft of all descriptions. On this assumption the situation as regards fresh food would be greatly easier than in 1925, when such supplies could only be smuggled through hostile pickets at almost every port

and on the land frontier.

4.

Should, however, these channels of supply

THE RIGHT HONOURABLE

LIEUTENANT COLONEL L.C.M.S. AMERY, M.P.,

&c.,

&c.,

&C.

be