CO537-(1262-1649) — Page 406

OUTWARD TELEGRAM

00046

M. Carre

+12

7555/15/1

SPECIAL (ECONOMIC, SUPPLY AND RELIEF)

FROM FOREIGN OFFICE TO WASHINGTON

D. 10.25 p.m. 4th February 1946.

0:0:0:0

46

UR.745/104/851.

[CYPHER]

No. 1164.

4th February 1946.

N

THE NATIONAL ARCHIVES

YOST IMMEDIATE

COMPLY

My immediately preceding telegram and your telegram No. 697 [of February 1st: allocations of rice to China and Hongkong).

These allocations to China and Hongkong were of course agreed

at the C.F.B. Rice Committee and all members except the Chinese

concurred in them. The Americans and Canadians participated

fully in these decisions.

2. Calculations based on statistics of population etc. are

highly misleading. As you have pointed out Hongkong is entirely

dependent on imports and the Ministry of Food are satisfied that

the amounts in question are the barest minimum required to avert

starvation. China is a producing country and is so large that its demands are of an entirely different order of magnitute to

those of Hongkong. The latter's demands are not sufficiently

large to have an appreciable effect on the Chinese position.

O.T.P.

1

cms

Ref.:

CO 537/1402

THE NATIONAL ARCHIVES

2

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