CO129-595-8 United Nations Relief Rehabilitations Administration Supplies 10-5-1946 - 1-1-1947 — Page 63

COPY OF DRAFT TELEGRAM (CIPHER)

TO"GOVERNOR, HONG KONG.

For Foreim Office and Treasury concurrenge

No...

863

C

Your telegram No.375, Consul-General Shanghai's

telegram No.339 of 26th June and Washington telegrams

360 and 4015 repeated to you.

U.N.R.R.A. assistance for Hong Kong.

Present policy of H. M. G. is not to apply for

assistance to U.N.R.R.A. for British Far Eastern

territories. Any question of an application on

behalf of Hong Kong would, therefore, require

careful consideration here in the light of the

general considerations which led to the above policy

and in addition to the possibly undesirable

political effect in China (see Shanghai telegram referred to above). Among other things it is

ly

possible # that if such an application were made on

behalf of Hong Kong or any of the other British Far

Eastern territories there would be some examination

of H. M. G.'s financial position, possibly by an

U.N.R.R.A. Committee and it could not be assumed

that the application would lead to immediate supplies,

It is probable too that any supplies received from

U.N.R.R.A. would have to be taken into account in

considering demands for supplies from other sources.

Please telegraph whether you wish further considera-

tion to be given here to an application to U.N.R.R.A.

on behalf of Hong Kong, and if so furnish details of

the supplies to be included.

In

to an

view of these difficulties at fact that UNRRA is shortly caning

further consideration

end

of this matter is thought inadvisable.