CO129-591-11 Emergency unit 1-1-1945 - 31-12-1945 — Page 9

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Sir G. Gater

Secretary of State

This plan to counter a possible

snatching of Hong Kong by a local Chinese war lord or an irregular Chinese force had been cleared with the Secretary of State for War but at the last moment the telegram to SAC, SEA. and the Military. Attache, China substance of which remains as in enclosure at (6)) has been held up in the War Office for the following reason.

General Wedemeyer,

on taking up the dual post of Commanding U.S. Theatre in China, and Chief of Staff to General Chiang Kai-shek in the China Command has decided to review all clandestine operations and organisations functioning in the China Command. These include the British activities of S.0.E. and B.A.A.G. He has decided that the only para- military operations to be carried out in the China Command area shall be such as are approved by him- self and have definite tasks allotted to them. For that reason S.0.E. proposed a unification of the British para-military organisations in China, mainly themselves and B.A.A.G. This was opposed by the Military Attache, China, to whom B.A.A.G. are responsible. The D.M.I., India, had at first agreed with the S.0.E. proposal but has now changed round and agrees with the Military Attache, China, against unification. General Wedemeyer has further ordained that it will be his policy as Chief of Staff to the Generalissimo to approve no para-military activities which he believes would be contrary to the wishes of the Generalissimo, and that is taken to mean that he would regard himself as free to consult the Generalissimo or his Chinese advisers on any scheme of para-military activity proposed. In that situation any proposal from our side that our Hong Kong scheme should be included in a British paru-military programme for submission to General Wedemeyer and the Generalissimo would appear quite useless. It is the British intention, however, I understand, to propose that British para- military activities should claim to receive from General Wedemeyer a definite function to be per- formed in a particular are a in the interests of the war against Japan. This area would preferably be the area of Kwantung and Kwangsi, which is roughly the hinterland of Hong Kong where B.A.A.G: at present operate and where we have good relations with the local Chinese commanders and have personnel speaking the local Cantonese language.

Until this situation is resolved in a discussion which it is hoped to have with General Wedemeyer, if he will consent to call here

on