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OUTWARD TELEGRAM.
233
OUT FILE
SPECIAL DISTRIBUTION AND WAR CABINET.
То JAPAN.
Cypher telegram to Sir R. Craigie, (Tokyo).
Foreign Office,
No. 590.
20th June, 1940, 3.43 p.m.
0:0:0:0:0:0
MOST IMMEDIATE.
Your telegram No. 1032 [of 19th June].
General Officer Commanding Hongkong considers that threats of Director Military Intelligence cannot be ignored and proposes that precautionary measures for the defence of Hongkong should be taken without delay. These would include removing frontier bridges, moving guns into position and partially manning defences as well as evacuation of white women and children.
2. In view of your telegrams Nos. 1037 and 1038 we are inclined to think that precipitate action of this kind may not be desirable since it might create impression of panic.
On the other hand it might show Japanese that we are prepared to defend ourselves. Please telegraph urgently your views.
3. Commander-in-Chief has seen General Officer Commanding's proposal and agrees with it but I note that in his telegram of the 19th June (repeated to you as telegram No.645) he proposes to postpone his own move to Singapore until further information is available.
Repeated to Shanghai No.582, Washington No. 1213, Hongkong No. 59, Hongkong please pass to General Officer Commanding China No.5, Commander-in-Chief China No. 20, Singapore No. 627.
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