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JAPANESE AIR BASE AT FORMOSA

AND BRITISH AIR BASE AT HONG KONG

(Previous

.

Reference: Cabinet 39 (25), Con-. clusion 5.)

5. The Cabinet had before them the following

Papers relating to the Japanese Air Base at

Formosa and the British Air Base at Hong-Kong (Paper C. P.-176 (28)):-

A Memorandum by the Secretary of State for Air, covering a Memorandum by the Air Staff

(0.I.D. Paper No.311-0):

An Extract from the Minutes of the 235th Meeting of the Committee of Imperial Defence containing the following recommendations:

(a) That no protest should be made

at the present time against the establishment of a Japanese air base at Formosa.

(b) That the development of an air

base at Hong-Long was not likely to raise difficulties at the present time as the Japanese had acquiesced in its establishment as an emergency measure during the present abnormal situation in China, which might continue for some time.

(c) That, apart from this temporary

Justification of our action, the development of a base on the mainland, not specifically for coast, defence, but for purposes of defence against landward attack, can be defended as constituting no infringement of the Washington Treaty.

(a) That if, at some future date,

protests were raised and the matter were taken before a Court of Arbitra- tion, it would be right for us to protest at the same time against the establishment of a Japanese air base at Formosa.

(e) That on this understanding the

policy of the establishment of an Air Base at Hong-Kong should be approved.

The Cabinet approved the above recom- mendations of the Committee of Imperial Defence.

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