CO129-591-18 Liberation of Hong Kong- arrangements for Japanese surrender 15-8-1945 - 19-4-1946 — Page 185

DRAFT

23/8.

Colonel Price,

Cabinet Offices.

('an from Shewale et

Copy to

Ramett

Fo.

Mr. Paskin,

Colonial Office.

In Boyd Shannen D.O.

Allied authority

empowered

Immediat's Top Secret.

Dear Price,

**

August 1945.

185

We have been considering Chungking tele-

grem so. 909 with the Colonial Office.

Their view is that it is important that

we should not get into the position of ccept-

ing dong ong from the Chinese and that it is

unacceptable, therefore, that the British

Officer wao tuxes the surrender shoula do so

as the delegate of Chiang Kai-shek.

We agree with this view. At the same

time we shoula like to rive some sppesrince

of meeting Ching Kai-shek in order to make

it easier for him to sccept the position. The

only concession We con suggest is based on

the assumption that surrender document ill

be signed in Hong Kong. In that event

we suggest that the document anould be onsed

on the model of the Act of Military Surrender

signeu et Berlin on May 8th 1945, but that the

Japanese shali sign "in the presence of"

the Commander of the British Force onl,

other Allied representatives present signing

afterwarus as being "present 83 witnesses".

Whether this is practicable or not leponds

n the capacity in which the Commander of

the British Force will sign, 1.9. whether

he would sign on behalf of 1.4.C. in the U.Á. of as the offin | 5/23

Order No./

Θ

.

the Supreme Comazader, Generel he

If tr

for stato siɛns in the letter only

capacity this would appear to obviate

any difficulty not only visvis Chieng K:1-

shek...

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