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F
(This is an unparaphrased version of a Secret cypher message and unless it is marked O.T.P. (One Time Pad) the text must first be paraphrased if it is essential to communicate it to persons outside British and United States Government Services.)
OUTWARD TELEGRAM
WR 222/3/20
CYFHER (TYFEX)
FROM:
D.0.
TO:
CANADA
(GOVT.)
56
F5865/1147/
R.D.
Sei
AUSTRALIA
NEW ZEALAND
SOUTH AFRICA
tt
(Sent 10.55 p.m. 29th Aug., 1945.)
D. No. 1884 TOP SECRET.
My telogram. 19th August D. No. 1504. Hong Kong.
419
On 27th August His Majesty's United Kingdom Ambassador, Chungking, spoke, on instructions, to Chiang Kai-Shek on following liness-
(») His Majesty's Government in United Kingdom are anxious to reach mutually satisfactory arrangement with Chiang Kai-Shek, but much regret that they are unable to accept suggestion that officer Commanding British Force should accept surrender of Japanese in this British territory as Generalissimo's delegate;
(b) They would of course welcome representative or representatives of Chiang Kai-Shek in Hong Kong on occasion of surrender; if Chiang Kai Shek decided to nominate a United States officer, this would be equally agreeable to us;
(c) Surrender would be accepted by British officer in Command of British Force empowered for this duty under General Order No. 1 (my telegram D. No. 1472), but Chinese and United States Officers delegated by Chiang Kai Shek would attend as representatives of Supreme Commander of China theatre, and on assumption that there will be surrender document would also sign it as witnesses in that capacity.
2?
Chiang Kai 3hek in reply made following points:-
(a) As Commander-in-Chief, China theatre, he has every right to send troops to Hong Kong but had never intended to do so;
(b) he has no objection to British forces going there;
(c) But surrender everywhere must be carried out in accordance with Allied arrangements, and in China theatre it is his right and duty to accept surrender or to delegate his power to do so;
(d) He cannot give up his legitimate rights, although he realised that we could if % so desired get what we wanted by force,
3. His Majesty's United Kingdom Ambassador, Chungking, has been instructed to reply as follows-
(a) We very sincerely regret this difference of opinion with the Generalissimo over the surrender of enemy forces in Hong Kong and we should not like him to think that we fail to appreciate his point of view as Commander-in-Chief China theatre. We must however
SPECIÁL
point/
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