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4. There is more than one cause of the shortage of

European British personnel in the Hong Kong Volunteer Defence

Corps. None of them, however, are easily remediable and I have

no reason to think that a strenuous recruiting campaign would

have any material effect.

5.

i

I do not contemplate applying the provisions of the

Ordinance to Chinese British subjects. No dependable register

of that community could be compiled: on the other hand the

proposed measure could not be effectuated without fairly complete

registration of the class of persons envisaged. My advisers and

I, however, have no doubt that very large numbers of Chinese

Volunteers could be obtained for the asking and, if necessary,

that section of the Hong Kong Volunteer Defence Corps could be

enlarged.

6.

I have not as yet been able to obtain an estimate of

the cost of this proposed measure but I am satisfied that the

Colony could meet it without difficulty.

7. I realise that the introduction of compulsory military

training in the Colony would have an external political aspect

and that Japan might consider that it is aimed particularly at

her. The limitation of the effect of the ordinance to the area

of the Colony, however, disposes of any possible suggestion that

it contains any threat or danger to that Empire: on the other

hand our defensive measures are the concern of no foreign power.

In any case an exhibition of firmness towards Japan usually

succeeds and there seems to be no reason why that should not be

so in this case, should the Japanese Government raise the point.

I trust sincerely that the enclosed bill will have your

approval and support. Admittedly it is exceptional in character,

but the justification for that lies in the peculiar situation of

Hong Kong.

80

I have, etc. (Signed)

GJA.S. NORTHCOTE.

Governor.

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