CO129-607-4 Repatriation of exinternees- financial responsibility for passages 2-2-1949 - 29-12-1949 — Page 47

'Saving.

From the Secretary of State for the Colonies.

T the Officer Administering the Government of..

Date

No........

47

Saving.

a copy of the Administrative Directive addressed to S. A.C.S.E.A. which was drawn up in consultation with the Hong Kong Planning Unit and a copy of the memorandum on the Dual Responsibility of the Chief Civil Affairs Officer. No decision on the question of incidence of the cost of passages and the responsibility for the cash advances was reached at the time because the sudden and unexpected collapse of Japan and the consequent immediate liberation of large numbers of internees made it necessary for plans which were in the process of being discussed in the United Kingdom to be put into operation before details had been completely worked out.

5. As regards passages, when the matter was considered here subsequently it was first proposed that the full cost of passages from port of embarka- tion should be borne by the Colonial Governments who would be responsible for taking the necessary steps to effect recovery in any case where it was considered that the cost fell to be met by any individual person. It was later agreed by the War Office however, in the light of paragraph 4 of the directive, that the initial movement of ex- internees in the Far East from the areas in which they were released after the surrender of Japan was a military operation. The War Office therefore

/ accepted