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No.899 - $30/26
Copied to:-
M.E. Dening Esq., C.M.G.,
0.B.E., No.126
H.B.M. Embassy
Washington, No.21
TOP SECRET
Sir,
6413
116
BRITISH EMBASSY, CHUNGKING,
21st August, 1945.
F5237/6
F5226/9
With reference to my telegram No.865 of August 17th, about the question of Hong Kong, I have the honour to report that on receipt of your telegram No.916 of August 17th, I wrote to the Acting Minister for Foreign Affairs asking him to pass on to the Generalissimo the information contained in that telegram. This, Dr. Wu informs me, he immediately did.
cot itached
2. Your telegram No.922 of August 18th reached me early on Sunday August 19th. The Generalissimo and Dr. K.C. Wu were engaged in a conference at the former's country house. Eventually a departmental head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was located at the Ministry hostel and was handed by a member of my staff a memorandum based on your telegram. The official was asked to get this translated and get it into the hands of the Generalissimo and Dr. Wu as soon as possible. A copy of this memorandum is enclosed.
3. On the morning of August 20th your telegram No.933 of August 19th reached me. I called on the Acting Minister for Foreign Affairs at his house and explained to him that the Prime Minister had been in communication with the President, and that on the American side there was no objection to Hong Kong being surrendered to a British force provided the proper military cooperation had first been arranged. After explaining this and that Dr. Soong had been informed by the United States Secretary of State of the position, I handed to Dr. Wu a short memorandum covering these two points, of which a copy is also enclosed. The memorandum of August 19th was also gone through with Dr. Wu. Late yesterday evening Dr. Wu telephoned to me to say that the matter had again been under discussion with the Generalissimo, but that he did not wish/...
The Right Honourable,
Ernest Bevin,
Foreign Office,
London, S.W.1.
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