53838/2/B/38.
91
In Rogers 186 in Gent.
pont 17 HK itself.
3 ŶN 11.6.68
cloby ou
15
On the 1st of June the Governor of Hong Kong
telegraphed that in the event of Japanese invasion of
South China or continued bombing of Canton, Hong Kong
would be faced with a refugee problem on a large scale.
The Bishop of Hong Kong had stated that christian bodies
would organise and administer a refugee camp if the
Japanese would agree to the neutralisation of a suitable
area in China for this purpose. The alternative would be the organisation of such a camp in the New Territories,
which the Governor states would be undesirable. The
Governor intimated that, given the Secretary of State's
permission, he had no doubt that the Colonial Government
would help materially in the setting up of the camp.
He asked for an early intimation of His Majesty's
Government's attitude.
The Foreign Office have asked for the views of
His Majesty's Ambassadors in China and Japan on the
proposal, and the Bishop of Hong Kong has telegraphed to
the Archbishop of Canterbury asking for his support on
the suggestion.
There are considerable difficulties to be faced
in carrying out the suggestion. The Japanese Government
will certainly require some assurance that such a camp
would not be abused by the Chinese military, and this
would probably mean the supervision by one or more foreign
governments, including possibly a representative of the
Japanese forces. The site would have to be some distance
from a strategic railway or road and from the Chinese side
of the Hong Kong frontier in order to avoid the possibility
of "mistakes", though it is important that at the same
time