CO129-578-11 Sino-Japanese War- refugees 17-1-1939 - 5-12-1939 — Page 4

4

Eastern Services Vote.

They

This is now the Treasury's reply.

consider that the F.0. were correct in refusing

to accept liability for these non-British refugees,

since the provision in the Diplomatic and Consular

estimates was specifically stated to cover the cost

of transport and maintenance in Hong Kong of

British subjects. There is apparently no

Parliamentary authority for extending the scope of

relief already approved, and the Treasury do not

a

consider that the charge could be accepted on

public funds in respect of the relief given to

these particular refugees. Hong Kong will therefore

have to meet the cost themselves.

It is true

There

that the sum of $3,230 is not in itself "outside Hong Kong's capacity to pay", but this would be

even more true of Imperial funds, and Hong Kong

might feel justly incensed by this decision.

is still the faint possibility mentioned in

para.3 of the Governor's despatch at (28) on the

1938 papers that some of this amount might be

recovered from the individuals concerned or from

various foreign Consuls; but the possibility is

very faint.

? Now reply to the Governor's despatch,

saying that the matter has been taken up with both

the F.0. and the Treasury, but that the latter

have decided that a charge cannot be accepted to

public funds in respect of the relief given to flac

peale listed in the enclosure to the Governor's

despatch. Say that the S. of S. is therefore

regretfully forced to the conclusion that the amount

in question will have to be met from the Hong Kong

Govt. funds, subject to any possibility there might

be