54145/45
Tel No 37
54144/40)1
X
the stage X has not been
reached by
Sir G. Gater
Hong Kong
22
Here, side by side, is the Colonial Office draft for Mr. Bevin and what Hansard reports Mr. Bevin actually said. We have defended our position vis-à-vis Chiang Kai-shek by claiming that the sovereign countries which have forces on the spot for the purpose would naturally claim to accept the surrender of enemy forces in their territories.
What
Mr. Bevin said suggests that we feel sure our Chinese and American allies will agree to return our territory to us.
The present position according to our information, is that the U.S. Chiefs of Staff have sent a telegram to
General MacArthur and General Wedemeyer, instructing the former to arrange for the surrender of Hong Kong to a British Commander as soon as the military co- ordination with the Generalissimo on operational matters indicated by the President is effected by the British, and General Wedemeyer is instructed to keep General MacArthur informed of the progress of those arrangements with a view to expeditious action.
The British naval force is expected to reach Hong Kong on the 25th under Rear Admiral Harcourt. Possibly
the best thing in present circumstances would be for the P.M. to make a statement in the House as soon as we know that General MacArthur has instructed the Japanese to surrender to the British Commander. He could then make a firm statement that we had made effective arrangements to establish British administration in the Colony as soon as the Japanese surrender has been accepted by the British Commander. If, however, it is impossible to say this om Thursday, it might be worth saying, to
remove