Documents Relating to New Zealand's Participation in the Second World War 1939–45: Volume III

243 — The High Commissioner for the Western Pacific (Suva) to the Secretary of State for the Colonies1

243
The High Commissioner for the Western Pacific ( Suva) to the Secretary of State for the Colonies 1

5 January 1941

The Tonga Government has agreed to:

( a) Increase its defence force to 30 officers and 450 other ranks.
( b) Provide the force with three months' continuous training and more if required.
( c) Accept operational control by the Officer Commanding Troops, Fiji.
( d) Welcome key personnel from New Zealand.
( e) In the interests of efficiency, request a New Zealand officer to take over command of the local force, the present Commandant to be a Staff Officer, next in rank to the Commanding Officer, to advise on Tongan affairs.

2. Estimates are not yet completed, but the Tonga Government has offered to provide £20,000 annually for the next two years, £5,000 from revenue and £15,000 from surplus funds. This island's spirited offer was entirely voluntary.

3. I will telegraph further when estimates are received from the Agent and Consul, 2 together with his views on the proposed contribution by the Tonga Government.

1 Repeated to the Governor-General of New Zealand.

2 Mr A. L. Armstrong, CMG, OBE; Agent and Consul, Tonga, 1937–43.