CO129-592-3 Reports on current situation- legal 7-9-1945 - 7-11-1945 — Page 4

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Extract from a general report on Hong Kong attached to Brigadier MacDougall's letter of the 7th November to Mr. Gent registered at 1 on 54144/43/3.

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1. I arrived in Hong Kong on September 7th with nine Civil Affairs officers.

2. I found an administration in being established, so far as could be seen, precisely on the 1941 basis, except that the Governor was now by Proclamation known as Lieutenant Governor. There were Executive and Legislative Councils and a staff or between 700 and 800 Europeans engaged on their 1941 duties. Many or these officers had been gazetted to orricial ranks and possessed executive powerS.

3. The first few days were taken up with the attempt to transform governmental authority into something more in line with H.M.G. directives. I met the Lieutenant Governor and Executive Council and explained the principles adopted by H.M.G. for governing Hong Kong (and other reoccupied British territories.)

4. Details of the action subsequently taken to regularise the situation will be found in the attached Legal Report.'、

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