CO129-591-14 Military Administration- liaison with Chinese and American forces 11-4-1945 - 25-7-1945 — Page 95

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end might be with the Civil Affairs Directorate of the War office. If this is also your view, the officer selected could properly be appointed to the British Military Mission and would, in fact, be the nucleus of a civil affairs section of that Mission, other hand it is not really a function of Civil Affairs officers to handle problems arising out of the re-occupation of Chinese territory and the re-integration of the Chinese civil authority; it may therefore be preferred that the officer should be responsible to some other suitable department in London, when he might more appropriately be appointed as an Assistant Military Attaché. The position regarding his functions vis-à-vis the re-occupation of Hong Kong is a complication; but I presume that the necessary link-up with the Civil Affairs organisation for that colony can best be made at the London end. It is, I think clear that it will be one of his chief functions here to provido information to the Chinese and American military authorities about facilities in Hong Kong.

5. I have been giving consideration to other aspects of the problem of the protection of British property and interests during and after the re-occupation of China and I shall be addressing a further despatch to you on this subject. Meanwhile I believe that the proposed appointment of an officer to assist the planners in the China theatre may well prove a useful first step in safeguarding those

interests, Even apart therefore from the consideration that he will be in a position to give direct assistance to China's war strategy, I would favour this appointment as being in the ultimate interests of British trade with China.

I have the honour to be,

With the highest respect,

sir,

Your most obedient humble Servant,

(signed) H.J. Seymour.