JAMEEN INCIDENT CLAIMS.
RESTRICTED.
No.36A( & 3 copies)
Copied: Ministry of orks No.64.
Hong Kong No.34. (without enclosures)
British Consulate-General,
Canton.
6th March, 1948.
sir,
I have the honour to refer to my despatch No.211 of 19th February supplying a preliminary report on claims for the Chameen Incident.
2.
I have now recaived statements of all claims other than (a) that of the Ministry of Works for rebuilding and refurnishing the Consulate Compound, (including repairs to the queen'a Garden), and (b) for equipment of the Information Saotion of the Consulate which kr. Harray originally assessed at some 27,000 but which he now states may be anything between £10,000 and £20,000. In a telegram to the Ministry of Works, Shanghai, of 21st February I enquired when their statement. of claim coulâ be expected.
Excluding these two categories of claims, the
total claims received amount in all to £174,404 made up as shown in the enclosures of $117,154 on behalf of British firu08; £33,963 on behalf of British subjects and 424,182 on behalf of Chinese employees. It will be seen from the first two enclosures that the claim of kesars. Butterfield and Swire, of the Chartored Bank, and on behalf of the effects of four British subjects, may need at a later stage sons, at least minor, adjustment. It would seem that the total claim is unlikely to exceed £300,000 or $1,000,000 and if when the Ministry of Horks' and the Information Beotion's statements are received this is found to be the case with a reasonable margin over for error in estimating, it is suggested that it might be advisable to present this figure to the Chinese Government as soon as possible because the latter might possibly be less apprehensive of accepting the known rather than committing themselves to accept the unknown, in the form of claims of an unspecified amount. The sooner this cleia con be accepted and paid the better for everyone concerned, as it will then be possible largely to wipe out the hameen Incident and return again to more normal relations,
As long
as tbe/.....
His Majesty's Ambassador,
British Embassy,
Banking.
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