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ADEN.

The Question of Police.

(Previous

Reference: Cabinet 30 (28), Con- clusion 8.)

4. The Cabinet had before them the Report of a Cabinet Committee (Paper 0.P.-175 (28)) on

the question of the stops which should be taken

to secure a police force at Aden, the Conclusions of which are sumarised in the last paragraph of

the Report as follows:-

(a) It is most important that the

British Battalion now at Aden should be withdrawn at the earliest possible moment; but this cannot be done until a reasonably efficient armed police force of adequate strength is available.

(b) The cheapest method of raising

a police force in Aden is by local recruitment; and the Chief of the Air Staff is con- vinced that, with British Officers, an efficient force can be raised in this way. On the other hand, local opinion at present avail- able is practically unanimous that an efficient force cannot be formed out of local material. In these circumstances a firal decision on the possibility of recruiting personnel locally ought not to be taken until Colonel Symes (Resident-designate of Aden) is in a position to make recommendations.

(c) The urgency of the question should

be impressed on Colonel Symes before his departure; and every effort should be made to ensure his arrival at Aden at the earliest possible moment. He should be

instructed to submit full recommend- ations as to all the steps which should be taken to secure an

efficient police force at Aden, as soon as possible

and in any

case not later than six weeks after his arrival.

(d) The Government of India should be

pressed immediately to make available one or two British Officers of the Indian Police, to be sent to Aden to reorganise and train the existing police force.

(e) All possible arrang

xments to meet

the contingency of local recruitment, or, alternatively, of recruitment in India, should be preconcerted by the Departments concerned, in con- sultation with each other and with

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