CO129-582-11 Dispersal of convicts in the event of war 10-7-1939 - 30-8-1939 — Page 2

C.L.

1. HongKong

For pre

president-

Sei 38421139 Kenya

....

See

10/7/39.2

(Inquires what should be love with gaob

populations should an by Japan become

Mr L.S. Smith

attack on

Houghing imminent probabilit

Are there not at present plans

Laid down in the Defence Scheme for dealing with forth in HIC. on

Convicts

outbreak of was, or earlier?

The

NisAndrews

1om.39

The Hong Kong Defence Scheme contains

us plans for dealing with convicts.

Amith 10/3.

139

Then the question arises of dealing

with the enquiry

The same lines as

The Khere, a one in 38421

p

one in 38421 0, but it

has to be remembered that the two Colomes are poles apart in size.

A

Emptying out convicts on the frontier would not be much good, except to give them the exercise of walking track: it is not clear how they could be prevented from doing so, or in what circumstances they could be banished. The Chinese popu- lation of Hong Kong will of course be incouraged to disperse as much as possible, but the hinterland man

well be in Japanese hands by then. Most of The frontier iság,

Japanese au raiders in China have not nomally attempted to pick out

[military