5
Cypher/OTP
DEPARTMENTAL DISTRIBUTION
FROM TAMSUI TO FOREIGN OFFICE
His Majesty's Consul D. 1.24 p.m. 29th January, 1950, No. 48
29th January, 1950. R. 2.55 p.m. 29th January, 1950,
PRIORITY
CONFIDENTI AL
Addressed to Hong Kong telegram No. 28 of January 29th, repeated for information to Foreign Office.
| Your telegram No. 7.
Wounded Nationalist soldiers.
I have again approach d the local authorities on basis of your statement that the latter still refuse to admit any of the se soldiers. Meanwhile 980 wounded Nationalist soldiers and dependants are arriving from Hong Kong in S.S. Hiram January 30th which would appear to refute this statement.
2. As a result of my representations in December the local authorities agreed to accept approximately 1,000 whom they had confirmed to be regular troops and I assume these are the soldiers now in question. I was informed when in Hong Kong at the end of December that the soldiers in question totalled 2,100 and that 500 had already been sent to Hainan and more were expected to go there [grps. undec.] appear to leave at the most 600 on your hands. The threat contained in paragraph 3 of your telegram under reference would havo most serious political and commercial repercussions if carried out and I do not consider it is justified in these circumstances,
3. If you in fact still have 2000 soldiers I presume that you must have taken in a further 1,400 in the past few weeks. If so would it not be better to impose as effective a control on their entry from the mainland as you do on entries from Formosa. Local immigration restrictions are designed to prevent entry of Communists. The local authorities are therefore reluctant to accept large bodies of troops which we have let in from Communist areas without careful vetting lest they contain Communist agents.
4. I should be grateful for [grp. undec.? full particulars of numbers of soldiers whose admittance has actually been refused before pursuing the matter further.
Foreign Office please pass Hong Kong as my Priority telegram No. 28.
[Copies sent to Telegraph Section Colonial Office for
repetition to Hong Kong.]
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