CO129-589-20 Evacuation- financial arrangements 26-7-1941 - 3-1-1944 — Page 60

DRAFT MR. BRYANT. 26.11.42.

54048/4/41.

вору

هم ١٠

40.64

No.64.

6760

2cf for eps the ovember, 1942.

30

Г

See separate

enclosume six]

Sir,

I am directed by Colonel Oliver Stanley to transmit to you copies of the marginally noted correspondence regarding expenditure, amounting to Pesos 258,948.94 or £32,068, 14. 9, incurred by H.. Consul General at Manila in connection with the evacuation of civilians from Hong Kong to Australia.

2. It is considered that in so far as this expenditure relates to the wives and families of civilians it can properly be accepted as a charge against the Colonial Office Vote of Credit Account, in accordance with the arrangements sanctioned by the Lords Commissioners of a the Treasury early in 1941 for meeting the cost of

the evacuation from United Kingdom funds, and it will be observed from War Office letter of the 22nd October that, subject to your agreeing to the acceptance of the claim without supporting vouchers, the balance of the expenditure can be met from Army funds.

3. As regards the lack of supporting vouchers, I am to invite your attention to the Foreign Office letter of the 12th August, 1941 from which you will note that the original despatch from the Consul General enclosing the original account and the relevant supporting documents in presumed to have been lost in transit. The only supporting document now available for this expenditure, apart from the unsigned statement of account from the Consul General, is thus the report on the Philippine Red Cross transactions from kessrs. Clarke and Lucken, Accountants in Manila which provides independent

THE COMPTROLLER

AND AUDITOR GENERAL.

seeunting-

evidence

Page 60Page 61