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L
INDEXED
BYR MA IL.
Copy to Washington No. 27.
154174/177/10
British Consulate-General,
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MANILA.
401
Дн
August 12th, 1940.
Dear Department,
This is a continuation of the story of the stay in the Philippines of the Hong Kong evacuees which I commenced in my letter of the 13th July. ༡
Backed
A 32/-! 2. On the 9th July Colonel Carswell informed me that the High Commissioner was very much exercised over the pres- ence of the 3,500 Hong Kong women and children in the Philippines and that he trusted that arrangements were in swing for their speedy reevacuation to Australia. I replied that the Ministry of Shipping had, as I had already informed him, been requested to furnish ships for that purpose, but that I was prepared to telegraph to the Foreign Office on the urgency of the matter if the High Commissioner desired me to do so.
3. Two days later a letter arrived from the High Commissioner to the effect that the Hong Kong evacuees had only been admitted to the Philippines on the understanding that they would remain here for a limited period en route to another destination and that they would not, while in the Philippines, become a public charge. The influx of the British refugees had doubled the Caucasian population of the Islands with the result that there was already a serious shortage in housing facilities while within a month a short- age of food of American and European types would ensue. I was therefore requested to arrange for the removal of the refugees from the Philippines at the earliest possible date. The letter ended with the statement that it was understood that several ships were now lying idle in nearby foreign ports which could be made available for use in transporting the refugees. I already knew from conversation with Colonel Carswell that the ships alluded to were Dutch passenger ships lying in Netherlands East Indian ports, and accordingly addressed to the Foreign Office,, and repeated to Hong Kong, my telegram No. 16. of the 11th July.
4.
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On the 16th July I learned from the Commodore- in-Charge, Hong Kong,, that four Dutch passenger vessels (mss. "Christian Huygens" "Indrapoera", 'Slamat", and "Johan de Witt.) were being sent from Java for the evacuees, and asking that Services and Dockyard personnel might be embarked first. A few days later I was informed that the British (Australian) ships "Awatea" and "Zealandia" were also arriving to embark refugees. The first of the Dutch ships was due to arrive at Manila on the 26th July, the other three on the 30th July, while the British vessels would arrive during the first week of August. All these dates were subsequently slightly changed. Later telegrams from the Commodore-in-Charge allotted the "Christian Huygens" to Naval and Dockyard families, the other three Dutch ships to Army families, the last one embarking in addition some civilian families to fill her complement, while the two /British
American Department,
Foreign Office, LONDON, S.W.1.
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