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(ii) Hong Kong - Co-ordination with the Generalissimo
and General MacArthur
THE COMMITTEE considered President Truman's reply* to the Prime Minister's telegram about the surrender arrangements for Hong Kong. All these telegrams had been repeated to Admiral Mountbatten and to the Dominion Governments.
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SIR ANDREW CUNNINGHAM said that he had deferred sending the President's latest telegram to Admiral Fraser until the Chiefs of Staff had decided what arrangements to make to meet the President's request for military co-ordination!
SIR ALAN BROOKE handed round copies of a draft telegram to Admiral Mountbatten instructing him to assume responsibility for military co-ordination concerning the occupation of Hong Kong with both Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek and General MacArthur.
SIR ANDREW CUNNINGHAM doubted whether Admiral Mountbatten could, in effect, arrange for this co-ordination. His immediate task was the urgont provision of forces of occupation to follow up the arrival of the naval detachment now that the Australians had refused to provide a temporary garrison. The Americans had agreed that the Japanese forces in Hong Kong should surrender to the British and were aware of our intention to sail in a detachment from the British Pacific Fleet as soon as possible. Such co-ordination as was necessary could be arranged by the British Chiefs of Staff.
SIR CHARLES PORTAL agreed with this view and suggested that a telegram should at once be sent to the U.S. Chiefs of Staff giving them the assurance requested by the President concerning assistance and support to Chinese and American forces operating in the hinterland, and requesting that General Wedemeyer be informed accordingly. The Foreign Office should inform our Ambassador in Chungking of the terms of this telegram.
SIR ALAN BROOKE agreed with this line of action and with a suggestion that the U.S. Chiefs of Staff should be asked at the same time to issue the necessary instructions, if these had not already been sent, to General MacArthur to arrange for the surrender of Hong Kong to the British commander.
(iii) Statement on Hong Kong by Foreign Secretary
THE COMMITTEE were informed that the Foreign Secretary wished to make a statement regarding the British reoccupation of Hong Kong in Parliament early that afternoon and that the Chiefs of Staff had been asked to approve the suggested text. Copies of the relevant extract from his draft statement were handed round at the meeting.
THE CHIEFS OF STAFF expressed their agreement with the proposed statement on this point, and the Foreign
Office were informed accordingly.
X lo. 6 of 18th August
No. 6 of 17th August.
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