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Chronicle (Levin), 1 September 1949, Page 5

Received Wednesday, 10. o p.m. HONG KONG, August 31-. He was completely eonfident that he could fulfil his function of resisting aggression against Hong Kong, Lieut.(Seneral F, W. Festing, general oftieer eommanding in cliief, said todav. He added that the reinforcement of the wliole garrison was going according to plan..' The position today was fundamentally ditfcrent from 1941 when the Japanese overran Ilong Kong. "Thank goodness we have heen given extremely good forces and have been able to eonsider the situation as a wliole, " he said. The basic differences from the situation of 1941 were tliat the Japanese tlien had complete command of the sea and almost complete mastery of the air. In 1941 the defenders were presented with a terribly difficult task wliereas today there was an adequate well-halanced force "sent here with purpose as part of a eonsidered plan." The new 40th Division would officially operate as a distinet formation in Ilong Kong's new territories as from tomorrow. The division which is under Major-Genej'al G. C. Evans, was concentrating largelv in the Fanling district near the Cfnnese frontier. More reinforcements for the division and for the garrison generally, would arrive shortly. There had also been a small naval increment and additional R.A.P\ reinforcements were on the way, Because of their mobility, some of the B.A.F. reinforcements might at present stav at Singapore where they . would complete training. Lieut.-General Festing added that ackaek practice would soon be started in Hong Kong and "there will be cjuite a lot of shooting. " The guns were being placed mainly for the defence of the port. While Hong Kong obviously was a highly vulnerable area I because of its eoncentration, the same j coneentration made the place relatively easy to defend. The defensive gun density when completed, would compare favourablv with that in London during the height of the war.