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Tel. No. 357 from Chungking
2 F.0. tel. No. 379
#1
11/4/45
17/4/45
DF/2
General Hayes has submitted his proposals (23) for a war establishment attached to the new post, agreed by the Chiefs of Staff of G.0.C., British Troops in China, as requested in the War Office telegram at (21). They include recommendations for an increase of 5 officers (including a Colonel to act as co-ordinating officer with the American Forces) and 3 other ranks. The War Office telegram had stated that no increase in manpower allotment could be made. General Hayes justifies his proposals, however, on the grounds that the Ambassador is recommending the establishment of a full liaison mission to be formed round the present Military Mission with the object of maintaining close liaison with both Chinese and American military authorities. The several existing clandestine and quasi-military organisations will apparently remain as separate entities, but come under the operational control or control for co- ordination, as the case may be, of the G.0.C. these matters I do not think the Colonial Office is directly concerned so long as British influence in south China is not lessened, but rather increased.
With
The Ambassador's recommendations referred to by General Hayes are contained in the telegram at (2). The main proposal is that the functions of the Military Mission should be extended so as to include liaison with the G.H.Q. of both the Chinese and American Forces in China. The establishment of such a mission with Chinese troops advancing into territory now occupied by the Japanese does not, however, affect our need for the formation of an Emergency Civil Affairs Unit designed to forestall the possible seizure of Hong Kong by Chinese forces, since it is from irregular forces that this danger is most likely to arise. On the other hand, the attachment of a
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