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way preferable that any women whom it was desired to include in the Unit and to send in to Hong Kong in the early stages should be in uniform, and on this there was general agreement. MR. MacDOUGALL made the point that as in the case of the men subordinate officers, the Unit would prefer to nominate candidates rather than to have allocated to them any A.T.S. clerks and stenographers from the general pool, since they would hope that after the end of the military period, the A.T.S. would stay on in Hong Kong as civilian Officers of the Hong Kong Government.
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IT WAS AGREED that COLONEL TAYLOR would take up this question within the War Office and that it should be treated in the same way as had been agreed for the subordinate officers in general namely to ascertain (a) whether the War Office would agree to enrol named Colonial Office candidates in the A.T.S. and (b) whether, if so, they would guarantee that they should be available to the Hong Kong Unit.
4. THE HONG KONG VOLUNTEER COMPANY
MR. MacDOUGALL stated what information we have about the Company and stressed the importance of securing their participation with liberation of the Colony.·
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THIS WAS AGREED. COLONEL TAYLOR undertook to take the matter up with the War Office on receiving a letter of confirmation from the Colonial Office.
5. THE SUGGESTED APPOINTMENT OF A CIVILIAN AGENT OF THE
HONG KONG PLANNING UNIT IN FREE CHINA
MR. MacDOUGALL said he thought that there was a need for an Officer to answer enquiries, and to collect and to re-engage ex-Hong Kong Chinese Government servants. Ambassador had been opposed to the idea of a Branch Office
The of the Unit and, therefore, it had been suggested that any Officer appointed for this work should be an Officer of the Colonial Office.
MR. GENT thought that while there should be the closest contact and liaison between the Civil Affairs Administration (and later the Hong Kong Government) and the Ambassador in China when Hong Kong has been liberated, it would be premature to make such an appointment at this stage. that an Officer such as was suggested could be effective in
He did not think present circumstances and this is the view expressed by the Ambassador. COLONEL TAYLOR thought that if the Ambassador's proposal of a British Military Liaison Mission to be attached to Chinese Headquarters and to contain British Civil Affairs Officers were accepted, there might be an opportunity for the inclusion of a Hong Kong Civil Affairs Officer.
IT WAS AGREED that this would be the best solution and to keep the proposal in mind when the matter is discussed, as proposed by the Foreign Office, at an inter-departmental meeting.
IT WAS ALSO AGREED that if there were any prospect of the Ambassador being in this country in the near future, it would be wise to defer the proposed inter-departmental meeting until he could be present.
6. THE APPOINTMENT OF MR. HAZLERIGG AS CIVILIAN POLITICAL
ADVISER
COLONEL TAYLOR agreed that if Mr. Hazlerigg could not be commissioned that he would be a suitable solution.
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