CO129-589-18 Complaints against evacuation scheme 23-11-1940 - 24-10-1941 — Page 50

No. SECRET.

54058/413

GOVERNMENT HOUSE,

HONG KONG,

50

RECEIVED

12 FEB 1941

C. O. REGI

18th December, 1940.

My Lord,

351/13139/1/140.

I have the honour to confirm my telegram No.767 of 29th November, 1940, regarding a petition from representatives of certain husbands and relatives of European women evacuated from Hong Kong, and to forward the actual si ned petition of which that telegram gave a

full transcription.

2.

I have nothing to add to the recommendations

contained in the closing words of my telegram.

3. Although the wording of the petition is in parts misleading and couched in terms of doubtful propriety, and

although it does not conform with the requirements of Colonial Regulation No.184, I acceded to the express desire of the petitioners that it should be transmitted without

verbal alteration.

4. The feeling in the Colony has, as I have previousl; pointed out, been very strong since the inception of the

scheme and was intensified by the decision conveyed in Your

331/13/39/11/4° Lordship's secret telegran No.642 of 5th November, 1940. I

have had the instruction in paragraph 5 of this telegram

very continuously in mind but have been restricted from any

public pronouncement by the instruction contained in the

last paragraph of Your Lordship's confidential telegram

No.646

30/12/9/11/40 10.616 of 6th November, 1910, and in dealing even with the

Committee responsible for the framing of this petition have

kept to the spirit of this instruction.

5.

THE RIGHT HONOURABLE

I have anticipated the possibility of a widespread

LORD LLOYD OF DOLOBRAN,

&c., &c..

&C.

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