CO129-571-16 New Territories 13-4-1938 - 12-12-1938 — Page 95

Mr. Compton said that the recent C.I.D. decision

meant that no further military commitments would be

undertaken on the mainland, and asked whether it had not

been decided that our present commitment there should be

reduced. Mr. Howard replied, and Captain Bourne

confirmed, that the decision did not imply a reduction of

our commitments on the mainland, but merely that there

should be no extension of them at the present time.

Captain Bourne emphasised the importance of the mainland

under any circumstances as enabling delaying tactics to be

carried out, and referred once again to the temporary

nature of the recent C.I.D. decision.

In reply to a question Major Grover said that

this decision meant that the Hong Kong Harbour could not

be used as a naval base for the British Fleet but merely

would be

that its use denied to an enemy fleetan lume of was.

Mr. Jarrett said that from the Admiralty point

of view, and subject seeeeezy to what the Foreign

Office had to say on this point, they felt that the

present was a favourable opportunity for extending our

lease. There was no immediate need for this extension

except in so far as the present appeared to be the most

favourable chance we were likely to have for some time.

Captain Bourne pointed out that the recent

C.I.D. policy meant that we must maintain Hong Kong as a

defended base, i.e. that it would not be given up as such,

as had at one time been suggested. As long as Hong Kong

was to be maintained as such, he felt that the maintenance

of British sovereignity

over the leased temitory

was essential.

Wing