CAB11-57-1 — Page 105

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Sir,

4

Enclosure 2.

Letter of General Officer Commanding.

Hong Kong, May 15, 1899. IN reply to your Excellency's letter of this date, informing me of the cable despatch received by you, and in which you ask me to make arrangements to carry out the operation agreed upon between us, viz., of sending 100 men to occupy Kowloon City, and 2,000 men to take Sham Chun, I have the honour to inform you that I have made arrangements accordingly, and these operations are only awaiting your final orders, which orders I trust may be sent me as soon as possible.

In reply to your further question as to whether, in the event of Her Majesty's Government directing that Sham Chun Valley to the hills be occupied, I am prepared to hold it for the present with the force already at my disposal. I have the honour to state that I am prepared to so hold it for the present; but that what I do demur to is a lengthened occupation of a large extension of territory far from my base, which could only be carried out by weakening my garrison in Hong Kong proper. It is one thing to hold temporarily, but altogether another to have to occupy and police for an indefinite period. It is this latter to which I must offer objection with the present strength of my garrison.

I have, &c.

(Signed)

W. J. GASCOIGNE, Major-General,

Commanding in China and Hong Kong.

Enclosure 3.

Letter of General Officer Commanding,

[Not printed.]

Dear Sir Henry,

Enclosure 4.

Letter of General Officer Commanding.

Head-Quarter House, May 26, 1899. IN reply to your private letter of this date asking my views as to my power of holding the entire valley, Sham Chun (as originally proposed), including the town of Nam-tao, with my present garrison; or whether, in the event of its being determined to include the valley, an additional force will be necessary, I reply that my views are as follows :–

My present garrison is strong enough, though none too strong, for the defence of Hong Kong proper. I take it that it was intended for the defence of Hong Kong, and that this is its primary aim and object.

When complications arose, in the new territory, and you called on me for military assistance, being otherwise at peace in Hong Kong, I was able to give you that assistance. I am still able to give it, and even if it were determined to include the valley of Sham Chun, and to add also the town of Nam-tao (a fresh proposal), I could still do this with my present force whilst there are no complica- tions threatening Hong Kong. But if complications arose, then I must at once call in the troops.

I do not think it was ever contemplated that this large extension of territory should be permanently garrisoned by the present garrison of Hong Kong. What I understood was, that the civil police would look after and administer it. The civil police not being so strong as they were thought to be, the military were called in, temporarily (as I understand it), to help them. It is one thing to do this temporarily, and another to do it for good and all. I certainly think that if troops are to be permanently quartered in the various parts of this new territory, then my garrison should be increased. But this does not imply that I think myself for the moment too weak to take and hold the valley, or indeed the town of Nam-tao as well, supposing that it is thought wise to hold them.

Believe me, &c. (Signed)

W. J. GASCOIGNE.

PRINTED AT THE FOREIGN OFFICE BY J. W. HARRISON-31/10/99.

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