CO129-535-3 Nguyen ai Quoc- request for extradition to Indo-China by French authorities 29-6-1931 - 26-1-1932 — Page 57

(W 11788/300/17)

INMEDIATE

F.E Dept 38

FOREIGN OFFICE, S.W.1.

15th October, 1931.

57

[35]

Dear Shuckburgh,

We are a little concerned to see from the enclosure

x

in your official letter No.82837/31 of the 10th October

that you are suggesting to the Governor of Hongkong that

the best course to take as regards the Annamite Nguyen ai

Quoc would be to release him and allow him to make

his own arrangements for leaving the Colony.

You will have seen in Wellesley's letter of the

2nd October that, in our opinion, it would be extremely

difficult to justify a decision of this sort to the French

and as the French Embassy tell us that they are being

pressed by the quai d'Orsay to find out what is going to

be done with Quoc we should be grateful if you could let

us know at an early date whether you agree with our

suggestion that we should send for the Counsellor and

try to find out from him what is likely to happen to

Quoc if the French get hold of him. In the meantime he

should not be let go by the Hongkong Government.

Yours sincerely,

Sir J.E.Shuckburgh,K.C.M.G.,C.B.

(Howarsmith.