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♫ Nevertheless, our military resources are at present so stretched there is at present not a single Army unit in the country which can be sent on emergency duty overseas without drawing on units who have already done their quote of unaccompanied overseas service that greedy eyes are going to be turned on the comparatively large force based in Hong Kong when Ministers come to consider the defence review in a few months' time.
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as you will have seen, painful decisions with severe political implications in this country have been taken in regard to the British military aircraft industry. One of the points that Lord Mountbatten will be putting to you is whether it is absolutely essential to maintain the three Hunters. He mentioned this point to the Secretary of state when he called to see him the other day. ...e realise that there are strong local reasons for keeping them and that to withdraw the Hunters alone, but at the same time retain the RAF ground organisation, would not involve a very great saving. As I understand it, the case rests on (a) morale, (b) deterrence of Chinese overflights, (c) the importance of retaining some cover for the Tei Ho Shan installations. I think however that, if you and the CBF felt able to dispense with the Hunters, it would make it easier for us to fight the battle for an unreduced garrison and resist any suggestion that Hong Kong's defence contribution should be increased.
6 I am not suggesting that this is a concession which, even if you felt able to make it, should be made right away. I am pretty sure that, however strongly we in the Colonial Office may feel that it would be monstrous to seek an additional defence contribution, the Treasury and Ministry of Defence are likely to urge strongly that, if the present garrison is retained, then Hong Kong must bear a greater proportion of its cost. The argument will run that, although there is still an imperial interest in maintaining our presence in Hong Kong. Hong Kong's om local interest is at least as great and she should be prepared to share the burden more equally. It will be pointed out that it is an accepted priciple that not only shoulá a colony that can afford it pay for its own internal security but also for its local defence to the best of its ability, HMG's primary responsibility being external defence, the British Government only coming to the aid of a colony in respect of internal security and local defence on the basis of need. This is the doctrine set out in ODC(64)3, para.
The treasury case can and will be countered, and
I think we shall have the strong support of the Forej p,Office; I do not see in any case that the present Secretary of State could/adopt a less resolute attitude than that of his predecessor who said in terms that he would not be a party to any instruction to you to overrice your unofficials on this issue. I am only mentioning this matter agrin at this stage to let you know that we are likely to have stormy times ahead.
7 I am sorry to burden you with this long letter,which I am sending off our files. I thought it might be useful to have this background before you meet Lord Mountbatten. Incidentally, one matter on which he is likely to quiz you is the question of the extent to which the Chinese Government could bring pressure to bear on Hong Kong by cutting off water supplies. Imwas quite unable to convince him that pressure of this kind was one of the least likely forms of Chirese action, thet your dependence on Chinese water was not such as to make you militarily very much more vulnerable than you are already, and that you were in fact for more dependent on China for foodstuffs than for water. We have given him a brief on this subject, but he said that he was likely to speak to you about it.
§ Lord Mountbatten will also be mentioning to you the serious situation in which the Aden Special franch finds itself. There has been a series of attacks on local officers, one of whom has been killed and one wounded, a nd the most senior Deputy Superintendent has now defected. We are pushing in expatriate reinforcements urgently, but Turnbull reports that the local staff are thoroughly demoralised and complete umrcliable for dealing with anti-terrorist operations. The Head of Special Branch, Waggitt, a Senior Superintendent, has recently been sent on leave after completing a maximum
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