CO129-570-1 Sino-Japanese War- arrangements for refugees from Shanghai 2-2-1938 - 2-11-1938 — Page 29

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the cases detailed in the first enclosure to this despatch

cannot properly be borne by His Majesty's Government they

would fall on the Hong Kong Government subject to any

possibility there might be of recovering from the individuals

concerned or in one or two cases of recovering from the

American Consul-General or other foreign consuls. I consider,

however, that the view of the Chairman of the Refugee

Committee that these expenses were a proper charge on the

funds of that Committee is correct. It is not, I think,

irrelevant in this connection to bear in mind that no charge

was made on the funds of the Committee for the salary of the

Chairman, a First Class Cadet Officer, Ir. W.J. Carrie, and

of other Government officials engaged full time or part time

on the work of the Committee or for the rent of premises

placed at the disposal of the Committee or such items as

water supplied to those premises. As regards rent it may

be noted that immediately the old Central British School was

released by the Refugee Committee it was let to the Military

Authorities at a rental of $1,000 per month.

1.

I shall be glad to receive your instructions as to

whether the charges in question should be borne by His

Majesty's Government or by the Hong Kong Government.

copy of this despatch is being sent to His Majesty's

Consul-General at Shanghai.

I have the honour to be,

Sir,

Your most obedient, humble servant,

1. had. hathet

Governor.

A