COPY.
EVACUATION REPRESENTATION COMMITTEE.
K.P.0.Box,No.1628
Enal. Mo.!
20th September, 1941.
The Honourable
Sir,
The Colonial Secretary.
At a General Meeting of persons whose wives and children
have been evacuated from the Colony of Hongkong under the
Evacuation Scheme and who are now unable to return to the Colony
the following resolution was passed unanimously.
"We demand that Government institute a public enquiry
into the working of the Evacuation Scheme which was
enforced from the 1st July 1940 until suddenly rescinded.
Also who were the persons responsible for the working
of the Scheme and the subsequent fiasco caused thereby
and that those responsible for the issuance of the
Order of exemption certificates which permitted dis-
crimination be publicly examined".
That resolution has been passed on to my Committee in order
that such demand may be put before Government. I am therefore
instructed by my Committee to request that Government institute a public enquiry to enquire into and report on the institution
and administration of the Scheme in pursuance of which the evacua-
tion of the wives and children of Hongkong Residents from Hongkong
was enforced and which commenced on the 1st July 1940 with a view
to ascertaining:
(a) Which person or persons were responsible for the in-
stitution of the Scheme.
(b) Which person or persons were responsible for its
administration.
(c) Whether exemption from the operation of the Scheme was
granted to any person or persons prior to the 1st July,
1940.
(a) Whether the Scheme was administered fairly and
impartially.