CO537-6314 — Page 119

OUTWARD TELEGRAM

FROM THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE COLONIES

RECEIVED

7 - GALONIAL OFFICE

·MAN 1950

COPY FOR REGISTRATION

Cypher (0.T.F.)

TO HONG KONG (Sir A. Grantham)

Sent 6th March, 1950. 12.00 hrs.

No. 311.

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Following from Tamsui to Peking No. 3 of 3rd March repeated to F.0. No. 93, Nanking No. 40 Singapore No. 20 and Hong Kong No. 55.

Your telegram No. 4.

Begins.

S.S. KWEIYANG arrived at Keelung February 17th with 1,000 Nationalist soldiers. Previous shipments were 193 in Wingsang January 15th and 900 in Hiram January 30th. These soldiers entered Hong Kong from Canton area in November.

2. Shipment was made by Tungwah Hospital in Hong Kong, presumably at the request of the Hong Kong Government, since the latter asked me to obtain a general assurance that all the soldiers would be admitted and threatened to ban all entry of Chinese nationals from Formosa if provincial authorities refused.

る。

Provincial authorities refused to give a general assurance but accepted the majority of the first two shipments whose credentials had been checked and entry authorisad. The Governor was much ired by the arrival of the KUWIEYANG regarding which he asserted, he had received no official notification, and he threatened to send all the soldiers back on the grounds that he had not agreed to their entry. After lengthy negotiations all but 25 were accepted and vessel left February 25th. All the first shipment 2 some two thirds of the second and four hundred of the third were able bodied, the remainder being halt and blind.

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I was not notified specifically of any of the shipments and arrangements were not made through me although I interceded with the Governor in the case of the Kuweiyang as ( group undecided } considered the presence of Nationalist soldiers in Hong Kong constituted an embarrassment to His Majesty's Government.

Circulated to:

Secretary of State Mr. Webber

Sir T.Lloyd

Mr. T.F. Cook

Sir C. Jeffries Sir B. Poynton Mr. Sidebotham Mr Paskin.

Mr. Gorell Barnes

Mr. Eastwood

Mr. Rogers Mr. Galsworthy Mr. Bennett Brig. Johnson Mr. Hall1

Ends.

Colonial Attache Mr. Bigg

Accounts Branch Mr. Holding Rm. 445

Rm. 440

Mr. Radford