CO129-580-6 New Territories 6-1-1939 - 16-8-1939 — Page 28

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284

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dealt

Rego de

with

Joul Learer pip

change the decision.

I would, indeed, not have written

were it not that I am sending the Compulsory

Service Bill off this afternoon. I hope very

earnestly that I shall be allowed to proceed

with this at once on the lines suggested.

Daily the British Situation at Tientsin and

Shanghai seems to worsen, and that largely

because the Japanese gradually are becoming

bolder as they believe more and more that we

cannot or will not withstand them.

Again it

is the argument of the 'bold face' : I am

convinced that the more that we shew our

determination not to be driven off our perches

in China the more respectful the Japanese will

become : and Hong Kong is among the bigger of

the local perches. Why should not the announce-

ment of the intention to introduce compulsory

service here be as effective vis-a-vis the

Japanese as the announcement of that policy

for Great Britain was in Europe ?