38 103
Colonial Office,
Downing Street, London, S.W.1.
27th November, 1942.
53821/42. SECRET.
Dear Ashley Clarke,
With reference to your letter
of the 25th of November (F.7822/828/10) with the draft of a telegram to
Chungking regarding the New Territories of Hong Kong. We shall not have an opportunity of showing it to our Secretary of State until Monday, but in the meantime we find ourselves fully in agreement with you in respect of the first paragraph of the draft.
It is a matter for the Foreign office to consider whether War Cabinet approval is required for paragraphs 2 and 3 of the draft since as far as we know the formula in the Colonial office memorandum, to which you refer in your covering latter, and the suggestion that in certain circumstances we might agree to give up British territory to the Chinese (even if only the New Territories held under a lease for a term of years) has not so far
H. ASHLEY CLARKE, ESQ.
been/
+4