STA
F8444/828/10
Colonial
Office 204 W. B.L. Monson. Esq)
MOST SLORET
USUAL DISTRIBUTION
99
Wit the Compliments
of the
Under Secretary of State fur Foreign Affairs
2 DEC 1942
[THIS TELEGRAM IS OF PARTICULAR SECRECY AND SHOULD BE RETAINED
BY THE AUTHORISED RECIPIENT AND NOT PASSED ON].
[CYPHER]
WAR CABINET DISTRIBUTION
FROM CHINA
FROM CHUNGKING TO FOREIGN OFFICE.
Sir H. Seymour,
D. 2.40 p.m. 25th December 1942
No. 1720
25th December 1942
R.
6.05 p.m. 25th December 1942
IMMEDIATE.
201
Your telegrams No.. 1622 and No. 1625.
At the meeting on December 25th the Minister for Foreign Affairs pressed the inclusion in the treaty of rendition of Kowloon lease. I refused and put forward your suggested compromise using the expression "when victory is won" which we think preferable. The Minister for Foreign Affairs undertook to refer the suggestion at once to his Government. I think he is personally in favour of it but even so the decision does not rest with him.
2.
In the discussion it appeared that the Chinese
negotiators were suspicious of the expression "terms of lease". If they agree to compromise solution would you consider [grp. undec.] such phrase as "the lease", or "question of lease". They think
that if the expression "terms of lease" is used they may be held to have committed themselves to continuance of lease subject to unknown modifications,
O.T.P.