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We
American forces are to play a prominent part in them. should therefore wish to put all the facts before the Governor for his advice before any detailed arrangements are made. The holding of substantial combined training exercises with the American forces in and around and over Hong Kong would appear to be an important new departure; and it seems to us that Ministers might wish to consider the desirability, and the nature and timing, of such exercises, in the light of the Governor's advice and of the general Far Eastern situation before any firm decision was taken to hold the exercises or detailed planning, were embarked on locally.
6. We should therefore be glad to have more information about the scope of the proposed training exercises and about the talks with the U.S. Naval Authorities on the defence of Hong Kong to which you refer. The latter are presumably further to the discussions with Admiral Stump earlier this year, but we do not appear to have been informed of them.
Yours sincerely,
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J. N. A. ARMITAGE-SMITH
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