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Ewing Gen 159
Foreign Office, S.W. 1.
25th August 1945.
TOP SECRET.
Dear Mallaby,
*,
I a writing to you at Stapleton's sugestion in Roger Allen's temporary absence bout JP (45) 703 (Fincl) of August 2jrd.
2. It is of course for the Chiefs of Staff alone to judge hat are the most convenient arrangea-nts fo: Command at Hong Hong from the militery ingle. re tre only concerned with the foreign reactions of their decision".
I
3. From this point of view I should like to emphasise the importance of avoiding any thing which Chiang Kai-shek can interpret es "jumping" him. sincerely hope he may not rise further difficulty about the surrender errangements, but our prush with him about those arrangements will probably leave nim somewhat touchy for a time.
4.
So far as I am are there is no agreement yet between wil concerned for the abolition or nouifi- cation of the theatre commands, as they existed prior to the Japanese surrender. It is possible that Chiong Kai-shek expects the China theatre to go on as before, i.e. including Hong Kong, until sone decision is reached by the Combined Chiefs of Staff, in agreement with him, for teking Hong Kong out of it.
Colonel Malloby
C:binet Offices.
5.
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