C
MAN
87
Sir G. Gater.
I had a word with
Brigadier French, Deputy D.C.A., War office, this afternoon about the plans for military administrations in Malaya, Borneo and Hong Kong. He said that we
could take it for granted that whether the Japs capitulated or not there would be a military administration in Malaya. Admiral Mountbatten himself was entirely convinced of the need to give a display of military strength on our return to Malaya from which our forces were thrown out in 1942. The military administration with its proclamations and so on, would go on as previously arranged.
Borneo the same as far as the
War Office policy was concerned.
Brigadier French himself
If the
entirely accepted our view that a period of military administration was essential also in Hong Kong, and that for this purpose Mr. MacDougall and his civilian unit in England should be immediately mobilised and despatched to the Far East. Japs capitulated I explained to him that it was our intention to press for the enemy in Hong Kong to hand themselves to the British, which meant a British naval force. Mr. MacDougall and his party should therefore accompany such a naval force.
There are in Hong Kong amongst our civilian internees, several high functionaries of the Colonial Government (including the Colonial Secretary,
Mr. Gimson who under the normal arrange- ments possesses a commission to administer the Government in the absence of the
Governor.
or). Nevertheless, the conception
of