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con-
clusions and
recommend- ations
at its meeting on 21 December 1967, concluded that "we should
for the time being at any rate suspend planning for any large-
scale evacuation and rely on mounting an operation if the need
arose to evacuate as many valuable and sensitive persons as
was possible".
(OPD(67)40th Meeting, Item 3). The Committee
at the same time directed that an Aide Memoire setting out the
above conclusion should be sent to the Governor and Commander,
British Forces, Hong Kong.
12. It follows that in a situation such as is envisaged above
it would be essential for the Governor to remain at his post,
as happened in 1941. If he departed from the Colony at the
critical moment the effect on the morale of the people would
be disastrous, and it would undoubtedly seem to the world at
large and more particularly to those left behind in Hong Kong
that he was abandoning his post. If this view is accepted,
there is no purpose in retaining in being the Dormant Commission
issued in 1951 to the Commander, British Forces, Hong Kong,
and it is accordingly recommended that the Commission should
now be withdrawn and cancelled.
HONG KONG DEPARTMENT July 1971
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