COPY
2712/917/10)
No: 425 (2/13B/45)
SECRET
Colonial Office
Mr Gent'
93
With the Compliment
*tac Under Seu ONLI
for Foreign Ah
BRITISH EMBASSY,
12 MAY 1945
CHUNGKING.
17th April, 1945.
copied
wo. BIT
75
7
sir,
I have given further consideration, in consultation with General Sir Adrian Carton de Wiart and the General Officer Commanding the British Military Mission, to the question raised in paragraph 4 of my despatch No. 411 of 12th April and have come to the conclusion that it would be preferable that any officer appointed to provide economic liaison with American Army Headquarters here should be on the strength of the British Military Mission rather than an Assistant Military Attaché.
2. The reasons for this expression of preference arise partly out of local considerations. At present General Hayes is both General Officer Commanding the British Military Mission, and my Military Attaché, but it is in his former capacity that he now tends to deal with American Army Headquarters.
I understand, however, that there is some likelihood that the two appointments will shortly be divorced. If this is the case, it will be most desirable that liaison with Theatre Headquarters on all matters except military intelligence (in which of course my Military Attaché must be closely concerned) be under one control. any event, if the further proposals set out in my despatch No. 424 of 17th April are carried out, it would seem that the suggested economic liaison officer would naturally and properly be a member of the expanded British Military Mission and the representative of that Mission in Chungking; and there would be every advantage in putting the new officer from the start into that organisation. We hope therefore that this alternative will commend itself to
you.
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I have etc.,
The Right Honourable
Anthony Eden, M.C., M. P.,
Foreign Office,
London, S. W. 1.
(Signed)
H.J. SEYMOUR.
14 MAY 1945
C. O. REGY
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