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-7 NOV 1941
W.G. 442/5.
CYPHER TELEGRAM
With the Coupli
Ondur-Secretary of State for London.
Affairs.
FROM DOMINIONS OFFICE
To the Government of
CANADA
(Sent 4.15 p.m. 7th November, 1941).
F 12133
Enter
gree
IMPORTANT.
No. 191 MOST SECRET.
Your telegram of 29th September No. 199. We have been considering arrangements for publicity in connexion with forthcoming arrival of two Canadian battalions in Hong Kong. Canadian Government will no doubt wish to issue an official communiqué announcing this arrival and the following form of words is suggested for their consideration, Begins. "Unita of the Canadian Army have for the first time arrived in Hong Kong and have joined the garrison. The troops are in the best of spirits after their voyage, and have rapidly made themselves at home in their new surroundings. Inds.
2a It has been suggested that such a statement might be released in Ottawa immediately upon the receipt from the General-Officer-Commanding Hong Kong of a most immediate telegram. in plain language consisting of the word "Zebulon" addressed to External Ottawa.. General-Officer-Commanding Hong Kong would be informed that he is to be sole judge of time at which security considerations would allow of release.
3. General--Officer--Commanding Hong Kong would telegraph code word simultaneously to us and we would make arrangements for text of communiqué to be issued here 60 minutes after this telegram had reached us. There would thus be a sufficient interval for Canadian authorities to announce arrival before it was announced in London. Wax Office are anxious that statement should be issued here as well as in Ottawa to mark the occasion.
4c While naturally anxious that due attention should be given to this movement of troops we hope that publicity will not be on such a scale as to over-emphasise the strength of our defences in Hong Kong. They feel that if the publicity 18 confined to the fact of the arrival the world press will draw their own conclusions as to its meaning. Suggested communiqué has been drafted with
this in mind.
5. Arrangements for press accounts to be written and photographs to be taken locally are being made through Ministry of Information.
6c We should be grateful for an early reply.
Copy to:-
Dominions office.
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Colonial Office Foreign Office
Secretary of State Sir E. Machtig
Mr. Holmes
Mr. Pugh
Mr. Monson
Mr. Ashley Clarke
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War Cabinet Mr. Stirling Admiralty Capt. Baxter.
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