CO129-589-17 Evacuation of British families 14-1-1941 - 27-11-1941 — Page 19

C.O.

REGISTERED No.

DRAFT AND RECORD COPY

41

19

54058/41.

DRAFT

MR. Gent 29.11.41.

LETTER

SENT

DATE

310 Dec.

29th November, 1941.

Dear Scott,

We have from time to time consulted the

- K Pazer 2/2 war office about the policy of evacuation of British MR. Calder minde) European women and children from Hong Kong and the

To

ENCLOSURES

FURTHER ACTION

Su Ki Poyser

t

difficulties and criticisms to which it has given rise. I enclose a copy of a letter which we have had from Masson of 3wires with regard to the effect of the evacuation policy on certain of their essential employees. The present circumstances of tension in the Far East seem to us to make it impossible to consider the grant of permission at this juncture to any wives who so choose to return to Hong Kong, but at the same time if the tension drags on much longer, it seems to us that it may be desirable, on the balance of considerations, to modify the policy perhaps on the lines of giving permission for the return of the wives (but not children) of men who are engaged in essential services in the Colony, (subject perhaps to a condition that the women concerned should undertake such emergency duties as the Government may ordain).

In the meantime I think I can only reply to Masson to say that it is not possible to convert the present scheme into a voluntary one in present circumstances, and that we cannot see any means of enforcing the return to the Colony from Australia of any men who are allowed to go there on a holiday 8m Hong Kong, and especially not if the Common.rea Government casts a covetous eye on their services while they are in Australia, But that the Secretary of State has promised to keep in mind the

possibility of modifying the present restrictions at the first possible opportunity, and that he will have particularly in mind the position and feelings of the essential personnel to whom he refers in his letter.

-COL. P.C. SCOTT.

Yours sincerely,

(ugā.) 4.2.J. Gent.

(6094) Wt. 25403-113 40,000 ea. 2 sorts 9/40 T.S. 695