Slim To Inspect Hongkong Defences

Northern Advocate, 28 October 1949, Page 5

Slim To Inspect Hongkong Defences

HONGKONG, Thu. (11.30 a.m.)— Field-Marshal Sir William Slim, Chief of the Imperial General Staff, arrived at Hongkong from Singapore today on a brief inspection tour. I-Ic was accompanied by LieutenantGeneral Sir John Harding, Command-er-in-Chief, Far East Land Forces, and War Office chiefs.

Fi&d-Marshal Slim will make an intensive tour of military establishments on Hongkong Island and the mainland new territories as far as the Chinese border.

He will investigate every important aspect of the colony’s defence. Informed sources said the army’s programme for permanent building construction in the colony will come under review.

Problems arising from the hurried transfer to Hongkong of nearly 30,000 troops and their establishment in hastily-prepared camps will also be discussed.

A high-ranking garrison officer said today that the command would be able to tell Field-Marshall Slim that all aspects of the defence situation were satisfactory, and the men ready and able to do the job entrusted them. He added: “There is no skeleton in the whole cupboard as far as preparations for Hongkong’s defence are concerned.”