OUTWARD TELEGRAM.
FROM THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE COLONIES.
H402
39
COPY FOR REGISTRATION
Cypher (0.T.F.)
TO HONG KONG (Sir A. Grantham)
RECEIVED 12 JU. 1950 COLONIAL OFFICE
Sent 2nd June 1950.
22.00 hrs.
(36)
IMMEDIATE
No. 873
Confidential.
Following from Peking to Foreign Office No. 729 of 2nd June Repeated for information to Singapore, Hong Kong as No. 129 and Tamsui as No. 8. Begins
Tamsui telegram No. 151 to Foreign Office:
Nationalist soldiers in Hong Kong.
South China Morning Post of May 22nd reports 160 Nationalist troops including two Generals (ex S.S. ETHEL MOLLER) were sent to Formosa on board Norwegian vessel, and implied that they would have been allowed to take their arms with them had the captain of the vessel not objected. Newspaper reports arms will be shipped later "As cargo in some other vessel".
2. I hope that these arms if not already despatched can be detained. It appears to me that Kuomintang soldiers who seized the ETHEL MOLLER on the high seas are little less than pirates, and there seems no reason why we should treat them with friendly consideration. The despatch of these arms to Formosa would be regarded as unfriendly by the People's Government and perhaps even as evidence that we have not severed relations with Kuomintang remnants.
3. Despatch of this batch of Kuomintang troops to Formosa may be considered by the Chinese Government as inconsistent with our proposals to return 4,500 ex Kuomintang troops to China (please see my telegram No. 123 to Hong Kong). Ends.
Circulated to:-
Secretary of State
Mr. Webber
Sir T. Lloyd
Mr. T. F. Cook
Sir C.
Jeffries
Sir H. Poynton
Mr. Gorell Barnes
Mr. Eastwood
Mr. A. R. Thomas
Mr. Galsworthy Mr. Bennett Brig. Johns on
Colonial Attache Mr. Bigg
Accounts Branch Mr.
Davies
Rm. 445
Rm. 440
Mr. Luke
Mr. J. C. Morgan Mr. Paskin
Mr. Sidebotham Mr. Hall