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to escape
purpose of assisting personnel who manage from Hong Kong. The proposal was to add to this unit a small party of persons who could at the right moment be sent into Hong Kong to act as a rallying point there.
Instructions were sent out to General Hayes,who is in charge of all British military personnel in
China,to work out a detailed scheme on these lines.
General Hayes has now replied in the attached telegram regarding the unanimous view of himself, General Carton de Wiart and the Ambassador that the project is not practicable owing mainly to anticipated opposition of the Americans and of General Wedemeyer in particular. The telegram states that if a project of this nature is to have any hope of success it must previously be cleared with both Chinese and Americans at the highest level.
The telegram was discussed between representatives of the Colonial Office, War Office and Foreign Office at a meeting at the Colonial Office on July
23rd. It was realised that the project must be reviewed afresh in the light of the new information regarding the possibility of the recapture of Hong Kong by regular Chinese forces. It was felt that we ought to approach Chiang Kai-shek as soon as possible to agree on what was to happen about the administration of Hong Kong in that event; and that if we reached agreement on what would happen in the normal course of events it would be easier then to plan,in conjunction with the Chinese and Americans, for what should happen in an "abnormal" case e.g. the with- drawal of the Japanese and the occupation of Hong Kong by guerrillas in advance of the appearance of regular Chinese forces.
The meeting concluded that our best course at the moment was to concentrate entirely on fixing up the "normal" procedure. It was realised that this in practice meant squaring the Americans in advance of an approach to Chiang Kai-shek and that owing to General Wedemeyer's attitude this process was likely tootake a long time if pursued through the usual channels (Wedemey er, Chiefs of Staff, State Department It was felt that a word from the Prime Minister to President Truman offered the best chance of rapid progress and that it would be a pity to miss the opportunity provided by the Potsdam Conference.
The Secretary of State for the Colonies directed that a memorandum should be prepared for submission
to the Prime Minister and the draft of a minute from Colonel Stanley, drafted jointly by the Colonial Office and the Far Eastern Department of the Foreign Office, is enclosed in the attached letter. The idea is that if it is approved departmentally by the Foreign Office it will be sent by the Colonial Secretary in a letter to Mr. Eden and the Secretary of State for War, with a request for their concurrence.
May I inform the Colonial Office that we concur deffentimentally |
in the draft? It will then come over for the formal concurrence of the Secretary of State, which the Colonial Office hope that we shall be able to obtain while the Secretary of State is here on his visit from Potsdam.
N. Ammian Dept-Paus
25/2
semis liaisen Ref 2017. (Discusand wally with Emi 0. Sargent who apprend pimperat
Jelly July 25}
J. Stimdala Bennett
25th July, 1945.
R. I. Campbell
2517
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Dona tebphan at 1fim Ioday
~Jall
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