TTLE SYMPATHY ON THE PART OF THE BRITISH AUTHORITIES FOR THOSE LDING, LARGE AMOUNTS OF MILITARY YEN AT THE END OF THE WAR, AS NY OF THEM HAD GOT RICH AS COLLABORATORS. FURTHERMORE, ECULATION IN THE YEN MEANT THAT MUCH WAS IN THE HANDS OF PEOPLE EKINGO MAKE A FAST BUCK RATHER THAN GENUINE CLAIMANTS. A URTHER COMPLICATION IS THAT THE (NATIONALIST) CHINESE GOVERNMENT
THE TIME TRIED TO PRESS US TO REGISTER HOLDINGS OF THE URRENCY. WHEN WE REFUSED TO DO SO, THEY WENT AHEAD WITH THEIR IN REGISTRATION PROCEDURE, AT FIRST VIA THE CHINESE CHAMBER OF
OMMERCE BUT THEN THROUGH THE OVERSEAS CHINESE AFFAIRS COMMISSION
HONG KONG. POLITICALLY THIS WAS A MOVE TO GAIN POPULARITY AT
HE EXPENSE OF THE BRITISH: FINANCIALLY IT WAS AIMED AT
AXIMISING THE CHINESE CLAIM FOR REPARATIONS AGAINST THE
APANESE. WE PROTESTED ABOUT THIS BEHAVIOUR. THUS THE FILE SHOWS
S APPARENTLY TRYING TO PREVENT THE NATIONALIST CHINESE
VERNMENT FROM SEEKING REDRESS FROM THE JAPANESE ON BEHALF OF
HINESE COMPATRIOTS IN HONG KONG. THE DANGERS OF THIS SORT OF
HING COMING OUT THE WRONG WAY CANNOT BE DISCOUNTED.
D
>
AFTER SOME THOUGHT, SENGOKU'S COLLEAGUE, PROFESSOR KOBAYASHI KOMAZAWA UNIVERSITY, CAME UP WITH THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS:
I)
II)
(V)
WHAT WAS THE AMOUNT OF MILITARY YEN IN CIRCULATION IN
HONG KONG AFTER THE JAPANESE SURRENDER IN AUGUST 1945?
HOW DID THE BRITISH MILITARY AUTHORITIES MANAGE MILITARY
YET AFTER REASSERTING CONTROL?
WHAT SORT OF SURVEY DID THE BRITISH AUTHORITIES ACTUALLY
DO IN 1945 ON OUTSTANDING QUANTITIES OF MILITARY YEN AND
OTHER CLAIMS FOR DAMAGES? WAS IT TRUE THAT AN
INVESTIGATION OR REGISTRATION EXERCISE WAS STARTED WITH A
VIEW TO COMPILING A COMPLETE REGISTER FOR REPARATIONS, BUT WHICH WAS ABANDONED HALF WAY?
IN THE PROCEDURE LEADING UP TO THE 1951 SAN FRANCISCO
PEACE TREATY WHAT SORT OF REPORT ON WARTIME CURRENCY
DID THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT RECEIVE FROM HONG KONG?
KOBAYASHI ALSO ASKED ABOUT THE FILES ON CLASS B AND C WAR
RIMINALS IN HONG KONG. HE GAVE ME A LIST OF FILE NUMBERS ON HIS, AS WELL AS SOME FILES ON REPARATION CLAIMS WHICH THEY WOULD
IKE TO SEE.
SEE. I HAVE NOT YET HAD TIME TO CALL ANY OF THESE UP BUT
WILL DO SO AND SEE WHAT THEY CONTAIN.
3
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CONFIDENTIAL