CO129-591-18 Liberation of Hong Kong- arrangements for Japanese surrender 15-8-1945 - 19-4-1946 — Page 205

2. DELAY IN JAPANESE SURRENDER

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(Previous Reference: C.0.S.(45) 202nd Meeting, Minute 9)

THE COMMITTEE considered the following messages on the timing of the Japanese surrender in the various theatres of operations:-

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(1) A telegram from Admiral Mountbatten reporting

that his liaison officer from Manila had arrived back with information that the formal instrument of surrender would not be signed until 31st August in Tokyo Bay and that General MacArthur considered that the surrender would not be effective in theatres such as South East Asia until about 6th September. General MacArthur was adamant that nothing should be done to anticipate this;

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(ii) A telegram from Admiral Mountbatten giving

the text of a message from General MacArthur, asking S.A.C.S.E.A. to go slow until the Japanese surrender became an accomplished fact. Admiral Mountbatten added that as General MacArthur had been appointed Supreme Commander for surrender, he did not see how he could disregard his direct instructions until the matter had been settled on a higher level;

(iii) A telegram from Admiral Mountbatten

giving the text of a message received from Field Marshal Count Terauchi, the Japanese C.-in-C. at Saigon, stating that he had not received from the Emperor any orders regarding despatch of delegates;

X SEACOS 450

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SEACOS 451 SEACOS 452

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