CUPY
THE WAR OFFICE,
LONDON, S.W.1.
67
40
2nd September, 1948.
128/Overseas/300 (F.1)
Dear Wass,
Thank you for your letter of 13th August, about the Chinose
claims.
(32)
As you know, after our meeting with Mr. HSU on 12th August, we explained in detail to him the reasons for our reducing the Jarcine clain to £185,000, of which he took note in order to notify the Company and the inistry of Communications. We shall have to wait and see if our figur is acceptable. e ill certainly let you know what developos.
The history of our counter-claim is somewhat obscure. The property apparently consisted of some 93 houses in Kowloon Town under the control of the British Military Administration (the then Government). After the J panose evacuation the houses were used to accumoxiate Prisoners of ar and were at that tâ:30 in a reasonable state of repair. Chinese troops then came into Kowloon on their way to Canton from North China and were accommo- dated in the houses. This was apparently ordered at the highest level as a result of an operational ag eement between te Chinese and American authorities at the time of the Japanese surrender, the G.0.C. being deputed by the Allied C.-in-C. to make the necessary arrangements. No marching in state was prepared, unfortunately, and it was undoubtedly then that the bulk of the damage occurr de
•
e are exactly or your opinion that had there been a civil government in tiong Kong, it would have fallen to them rather than the Army to provide the accommodation. Incidentally,
D.W.G. Wass Esq.,
Treasury Chambers,
S..1.
/doubt