CO129-570-3 Sino-Japanese War- proposed refugee camp in demilitarised area of South China 1-6-1938 - 11-1-1939 — Page 91

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In Rogers 186 in Gent.

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On the 1st of June the Governor of Hong Kong

telegraphed that in the event of Japanese invasion of

South China or continued bombing of Canton, Hong Kong

would be faced with a refugee problem on a large scale.

The Bishop of Hong Kong had stated that christian bodies

would organise and administer a refugee camp if the

Japanese would agree to the neutralisation of a suitable

area in China for this purpose. The alternative would be the organisation of such a camp in the New Territories,

which the Governor states would be undesirable. The

Governor intimated that, given the Secretary of State's

permission, he had no doubt that the Colonial Government

would help materially in the setting up of the camp.

He asked for an early intimation of His Majesty's

Government's attitude.

The Foreign Office have asked for the views of

His Majesty's Ambassadors in China and Japan on the

proposal, and the Bishop of Hong Kong has telegraphed to

the Archbishop of Canterbury asking for his support on

the suggestion.

There are considerable difficulties to be faced

in carrying out the suggestion. The Japanese Government

will certainly require some assurance that such a camp

would not be abused by the Chinese military, and this

would probably mean the supervision by one or more foreign

governments, including possibly a representative of the

Japanese forces. The site would have to be some distance

from a strategic railway or road and from the Chinese side

of the Hong Kong frontier in order to avoid the possibility

of "mistakes", though it is important that at the same

time