No Empire Forces Offering For Hong Kong Defence

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXVI, Issue 22951, 20 May 1949, Page 5

No Empire Forces Offering For Hong Kong Defence

(N.Z.P.A.—Reuter— Copyright.) (10 a.m.) HONG KONG, May 19. It did not look as if the United Kingdom would get any help from other Commonwealth countries or from the United States in defending Hong Kong, Mr. Leonard Gammans, the Conservative member of the House of Commons wrote this morning in his weekly column “Looking from London” in the South China Morning Post.

“In the case of the Americans there is, perhaps, some excuse. It is British territory and the Americans have always had a phobia about the British colonial Empire. “It is a little more difficult to understand the reluctance of the Commonwealth countries to send troops. If Hong Kong were overrun by the Communist armies, nothing in the long run could save Singapore. If this occurs, what happens to the security of Australia and New Zealand? They would find themselves two isolated communities in the Pacific surrounded by a Red Asia-

“The threat to India and Pakistan is, if anything, more immediate—certainly to India which lias a strong Communist element within her own territories. “Not much will have been achieved by the recent Commonwealth conference in London if it means that when a British colony in Asia is threatened the United Kingdom is left to carry the baby alone. “To my mind the security of Hong Kong increases in direct proportion to the size of the garrison that is put in. The larger the expeditionary force that is sent the less likelihood will there be of a repetition of events in Malaya where people have helped the Communists with money and food not because they favour communism but because they have lost confidence in the ability of the Government to protect them.”

Mr. Gammans said he agreed when the Communists reached South China that they would have a lot of troubles and, therefore, disinclined to begin a frontal attack on Hong Kong but he would want a lot of convincing that 6000 men were sufficient to present an overwhelming show of force. R.A.F. FIGHTERS FOR HONG KONG URGED CANBERRA, May 19. A request that Australia should send a fighter squadron to help defend Hong Kong was made by Mr. T. W. White, Liberal, in the House of Representatives. He asked the Prime Minister, Mr. J. B. Chifley, to consider this step because of a probable attack on Hong Kong by Communist armies and because the defence of Australia was bound up with that of Hong Kong. Mr. Chifley said that so far no request for help had been received from the British Government.