Cypher Telegram
COPY FOR REGISTRATION
Received
in
5,25
of 5/54058/41.
(8) au
blog
231 amo
No. 578.
FROM: TO:
FROM HONG KONG Registry
Governor (Sir G. Northcote)
24 JUN 19:
Secretary of State for the Colonies.
D. 23rd June, 1941.
R. 23rd
量
Your telegram No. 563.
22.05 hra.
(aft by the Monson)
hos Black
Person named is
• liable to removal under Regulation 6B of the regulations mentioned by you. There are eight other women in similar case all having entered the Colony in transit and then refused to leave.
I feel however that I should state certain other difficulties and doubtful points that may arise in practice if forcible removal is attempted.
(a) Only one has valid cholera inoculation certificate and legislation enforcing inoculation with a view to deportation is undesirable. This precludes removal of others to Shanghai and Manila.
(b) In any case I doubt whether British women should be compelled to go to Shanghai or for that matter in the present circumstances.
Manila
(c) This leaves Australia as the only practical destination but how far the authorities there would co-operate in forcibly detaining recalcitrant women in the Dominion is open to doubt.
(a) Direct sailings to Australia are infrequent. It is to be expected that on being warned that removal to Australia impending, women concerned would hide among
Το sympathisers until the steamer had again sailed. prevent this prior arrest and detention would be possible but this would mean the setting up of house detention for European women, engagement of wardresses and so forth.
(e)
Several hold, and all could obtain, medical certificates from sympathetic doctora to the effect that they should remain here.
Attorney-General advises against prosecution as alternative to forcible removal but on the grounds stated above he is reluctant to advise the latter course.
Feeling running high among many, but far from
Izl all, husbands whose families sent away last year. this connection see Norton's two points in his telegram No.703 of last year. Nevertheless I cannot avoid the belief that to attempt forcible removal to Australia is to court defeat and bring the Government into worse disrepute than these known evasions have caused.
Husbands