OUTWARD TELEGRAM
.X. Correction
FROM THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE COLONIES
Cypher (0.T.P.)
4452
003/4
94003
COPY FOR REGISTRATION
RECEIVED <-FEB 1950
TO HONG KONG (Sir A. Grantham)
Sent 30th January, 1950.
COLONIAL OFFICE
15.45 hrs.
designed
PRIORITY
No. 145 Confidential.
Following from Tamsui to Governor Hong Kong No. 28 of 29th January repeated to Foreign Office No. 48. Begins.
Your telegram No. 70
Wounded Nationalist soldiers.
I have again approached the local authorities on basis of your statement that the latter still refuse to admit any of these soldiers. Meanwhile 980 wounded Nationalist soldiers and dependants are arriving from Hong Kong in S.S. HIRAM 30th January 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 Dow 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 have 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 2,000 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.
40
I should be grateful for (grp. undec.? full particulars of ) numbers of soldiers whose admittance has actually been refused before pursuing the matter further. Ends.
/Circulated