CO129-584-8 Hong Kong Naval Volunteer Force 16-5-1940 - 5-4-1941 — Page 13

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or in providing the pay; but that any such expenses may

be so paid if, and s far as, moneys may be provided by

Parliament in any yer for that purpose. Since there

were bound to be divergencies between Colony and Colony in

the use to which the local force was put, the extent to

which the local defe: ce needed to be expanded, the extent

to which that expansion was affected by naval use of the

port, and the ability of the Colony to pay, the Admiralty

represented that it was impossible to lay down any hard

and fast rule, which could equitably be applied to all

Colonies alike, and suggested that each case would neod

to be considered on : enits.

the

Turning to the particular territorie s

immediately concerne:, namely Hong Kong, Malaya and

Trinidad, it was ago ed that in the circumstances the

R.N.V. R. anit in Malaya would have to be paid for from

Colonial funds, at 1: ast so long as it continued to be

employed only for pus poses of local defence.

In Hong

Kong it was understood that one officer and four ratings

had been lent to the Admiralty, although the unit hed not

been formally placed at the disposal of the Admiralty.

It was understood the t the Admiralty were already paying

these five men. Fo: the rest, the cost of the force would

continue to be a Hong Kong liability, on the understanding

that, as in the case of Malaya, the matter would require

farther consideration if the Force should cease to be

employed solely for purposes of local defence.

regards Trinidad, Mr. Monson pointed out that Trinidad hað

aesuneá a large recu: rent liability in connection with the

defence scheme for the oil refineries, and that the limit

of this expenditure in military and air defence was not

yet known. He felt olear, however, that the cost of

A3

maintaining