CO129-563-13 Sino-Japanese War- comments at Cabinet meeting concerning evacuation 17-8-1937 - 17-8-1937 — Page 3

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20.8.37

EXTRACT from Notes of a Meeting of Ministers held on Tuesday, 17th August, 1937.

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The evacuation of refugees from Shanghai.

THE DISCUSSION then turned to the question of the

evacuation of women and children from Shanghai.

THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS asked

whether it would be possible to expedite the evacuation by

using warships for the purpose.

REAR ADMIRAL CUNNINGHAM said that the Commander

in Chief was evacuating 700 women and children today and

that he hoped to evacuate about 2,000 more on the 19th

August. It was true that a figure of 4,500 had been

mentioned as the number of women and children to be

evacuated, but it would almost certainly be found that a

very large number of these would refuse to leave. The

evacuation of men as well as women and children was out of

the question. As regards the question of using warships

for evacuation purposes, the only two cruisers in China

Seas were being kept out of the way, and destroyers were

entirely unsuitable for the purpose.

SIR ROBERT VANSITTART raised the question of the

evacuation of foreigners. He said that the Portuguese

Ambassador had recently told him that there were some 4,000

Portuguese Nationals in the Shanghai Area, and that, without

making any specific request that we should assist in their

evacuation, he was obviously toying with the idea. All

that he had in fact asked was that our Consul-General

should be instructed to keep in close touch with the

Portuguese Consul-General.

REAR