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The following possibilities emerge:-
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(1) The nine months pay received by all pensionable staff reporting in Free China can be regarded as a final liquidation of the Hongkong Government's obligations and no further steps taken.
(11) The nine months pay can be so regarded but deserving cases can be granted relief loans when necessary in addition.
(iii) All staff with more than ten years service can be granted whatever pension is due to them up to them up to 30th September, 1942, under the Pensions Ordinance, and the Hongkong Government's obligations can thus be liquidated. Those with less than ten years service can be granted whatever gratuity is due to them.
(iv) Only those with, say, more than 25 years service or over the age of 45 can be pensioned off and relief loans granted to those who do not fall within these categories.
On the assumption that Hongkong will retain its status as a British Colony, I am personally in favour of (iv). Officers over the age 45 or with more than 25 years service are unlikely to be able to find employment in China and their length of service in my opinion makes them eligible for greater compensation than they have already received. Those who are under 45 or with less than 25 years service have a greater chance of adapting them- selves to life in China and would be required for service after the war. In cases of need, I suggest that they be given assistance in the form of relief loans, which should bear some fixed relation to their previous salaries. Such loans might for example, be restricted to one third or one half of their former Hongkong Salaries per month or to the equivalent of not more than so many months salary in all.
These suggestions are made th the object of obtain- ing a decision regarding the general policy to be adopted and no attempt has been made to go into details. Before commenting on the suggestions in the petition itself, I recommend, however, that any extra assistance given should in general be conditional on the officer not having worked in Hongkong for the Japanese. In cases where offi- cers have worked for the Japanese, I suggest that full particulars should be sent to the Colonial Office, who could then decide if any further assistance was desirable.
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I am not in favour of the suggestion made in paragraph draw 3 (i) of the petition that all officers should/a proportion of their
Pidraws former salaries for the duration of the war, and I do not imagine that the Colonial Office would consider this. Paragraph 3 (ii) is presumably an alternative to 3 (i) and requests that all pension- able officers be given whatever pension or gratuity they would nor- mally be entitled to up to 30th September, 1942. I am in favour of this as far as the more senior officers are concerned.
The answer to paragraph 3 (iii) is presumably that no refund of Widows & Orphans Pensions Contributions can be made to married men, who have had the benefit of the insurance cover afforded by this scheme. I should, however, like to know whether an assurance could be given that pensions from this fund will still
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