CO129-570-3 Sino-Japanese War- proposed refugee camp in demilitarised area of South China 1-6-1938 - 11-1-1939 — Page 82

NO DISTRIBUTION.

Decypher. Mr. Phillips (Shanghai).

July 18th 1938.

D.

Wireless.

July 19th 1938.

No.204.

R. 9.30 a.m.

July 19th 1938.

35

8உ

Addressed to His Majesty's Ambassador Hankow unnumbered of July 18th.

The refugee problem having become very acute in International Settlement and western district, British members of municipal council are unanimous in urging that there should be unification of control and that council should appropriate an area of land in outside roads district inside perimeter which they would fence, provide with proper sanitation drainage and water supply. Then, compel those organisations which have refugees housed in built-up premises or in insanitary conditions to move them to the new site.

The British members realise that the right of council to take any jurisdiction over land inside the enclaves of outside roads is likely to be challenged by Japanese authorities and new Shanghai municipal administration but they consider council should go ahead and that such a question should be dealt with when it arises. While they do not advocate that force should be used they do not consider that at this stage there is any reason to regard new Shanghai municipal administration as enjoying the same rights as the late city government of greater Shanghai.

The