54287/49.
4.4
Colonial office,
The Church House,
Great Smith Street,
S.W. 1.
18th April, 1949.
Dear Seymour,.
Some weeks ago when Radford called to discuss the question of railway naterials requisitioned in Hong Yong in 1941, he menti ned to Jefferies the matter of compensation for damage caused to a convent in Hong Kong. Jefferies said that if it were a question of the ar office being asked to bear part of the liability we should write to you. The facts, briefly, are as follows.
2. The Convent of St. Albert the Great belonging to the Dominican Fathers in Hong Kong (also known as the Rosary 111 Red Cross Hane) was put to a number of uses during the war and as a result suffered some damage and fell into disrepair. It was first taken over on oth December, 1941, during hostilities in Hong Kong for use as a military hospital for British troops; it was vacated and restored to the Dominican Fathers on 25th February, 1942. In September, 1943, the Convent was rented by Mr.Zindel, the local delegate of the International Red Cross Comittee and, with the support of British funds remit led through Geneva, was run as a Red Cross Home for non-interned dependants of British and Allied prisoners of war and civilian internees and other destitute non-Chinese persons. It continued to be so used until 22nd October, 1945, when it was taken over by the British Military Administration and used as a centre for civilian repatriates and destitute persons. It was finally returned to the Dominican Fathers on 30th September, 1947.
COLONIAL SEYMOUR
since