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So that there may be as little delay as
possible, a copy of the draft minutes of the
. V-'- O.D.C. meeting on the 51st May has been obtained
and enclosed, and I annex a draft telegram conson.
¦
conveying authority to the Governor and High
Commissioner to proceed immediately with -
(1) the creation of tv/o new European
companies of the Fiji Defence Force at
Lautoka;
(2) an approach to the Government of Tonga
on the possibility of raising a Defence
Force of one company;
and giving him the substance of the conclusions
reached at the O.D.C. meeting on the other points
discussed in^ithe Report of the New Zealand Defence
Conference.     The minutes of the meeting have not
brought out the political difficulties which are
present in the case of Tonga and our treaty
obligation to defend the Protectorate, but the
matter can be left until we hear from the High
Commissioner the result of his approach to the
Tonga Government.
The question of the force to man the
coast defence battery will have to wait until we
hear from the Admiralty.     The decisions of the
New Zealand Government on the Air recommendations
of the Defence Conference are InfpJB*) > but their
decisions on the Army recommendations are not yet
available.     I have worded the draft telegram
accordingly.
I understand that Part III of the Report -
the Pacific air routes - is being dealt with on eShe*
another file.     The comments in paragraph 19 onwards
of
of (7) from Sir H. P. Batterbee are interesting.
Sooner or later the question of unattached
islands will have to be discussed again.
I am minuting separately on
85239/39 on the subject of the R.H.V.R. aL^JcT
Jo.____
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/.   I am afraid that, owing to much pressure
of other work, I have held this up for some days.
2», I have now expanded somewhat Mr. V/atherston1 s
draft telegram and submit it for consideration.
I ought, perhaps, to draw attention to the following
points:-
(a) the recommendation that Suva should be made a
Category A defended port v/ill have to be
formally submitted to the C.I.D.    In point of
fact, however, there v/ill be no difficulty
about this, and Major Jacob, to whom I have
spoken on the telephone, agrees that it will
be safe to telegraph on the lines indicated
in the draft;
00
("b) as regards the proposed company in Tonga,
the Governor stated in his telegram ofc the
(4 on Part I 15th May that if the principle of raising
of the file)
a Tongan company were accepted, he would
address us "as to the proportion, if any,
of the cost the Government of Tonga might
be able and v/illing to contribute". I
told the Committee the substance of this
passage, and warned them that unless assis-
tance could be promised from Imperial funds
it was quite probable that the Tongan pro-
posal could not be proceeded with. The
Committee fully appreciated, I think, the
peculiar position of Tonga in this matter,
but nevertheless there was a very general
feeling that there would be no case for
assistance from Imperial funds tov/ards the
recurrent cost.    In the circumstances, I
think that we should be justified in taking
the line indicated in the draft;
(c) the financial proposals in the Governor's
(12 on despatch of the 17th January have not yet been
6214/20A/39)
seen by higher authority.    I assume, however,
that we can take the line indicated in the
draft.   Actually, even if Fiji has to increase
its recurrent expenditure on Defence somewhat
above the figure of £18,000 mentioned by the
Governor, I should not regard this as a
severe burden, since it would still only repre-
sent about 3 per cent, of the territory's
revenue.    This would be considerably less
than a number of Dependencies are having to
spend on defence, not to mention H.M.G. in
the United Kingdom.
It seems to me that it will be desirable
to get the concurrence of Service Departments and
of tie Dominions Office in the draft telegram .
Thus the proposal that H.M.G. should bear half
the cost of the landing grounds in Fiji will
involve a provision on Air Votes, and Mr.Gilbert
(to whom I have spoken on the telephone) thinks
that before we make any definite statement on
the subject the Finance Branch of the Air Ministry
should see, so that they can make the requisite
arrangements.   Accordingly, I have added ite draft
letters to the Service Departments and the Dominions
Office, sending them the draft telegram for con-
currence.
ty-, I am sending forward separately a draft
despatch concerning the proposed formation of a
R.K.V.R.   unit in Fiji.
13.6.1939.

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I have incorporated in the draft telegram
the amendments suggested by the Departments concerne
I have also "been through it again with Mr.Y/ather-
ston, in order to check a doubtful point about
Ocean Island.
I suggest that it should now issue.
The file might recirculate in order that we may
consider whether further action will be necessary
as regards the proposal that the 7/ar Office should
supply certain arms and ammunition- etc. I
understand from Major Hears that there is likely
to be no difficulty about this, subject, of course,
to the overriding consideration that any demands
will have to take their due place in the priority
list.
>
7. 7. 1939.
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1 4 jul 1333

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Unfortunately our main file about the New
Zealand Defence Conference is temporarily missing.
V<e can, however, telegraph forthwith to the Governor
of Fiji on the lines of the annexed draft; I agreed
with Mr. Pitblado that we would do this as soon
as the Dominions Office had produced their telegram.
After the issue of the telegram Mrj^argg and
ty
P.^n'd M. Department should see
- / ^J2-*Z-
1.8.1939.
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