63
With Mr. D. W. G. Wass's compliments.
120/Overseas/300
(2) D. 82/65/2
42
Treasury Chambers,
S.W.1.
10th November, 1948
Dear jaussett,
Once more I must apologise for the delay we may have caused in the development of the Chinese settlement by not replying earlier to your letter of 2nd September. You will recall that we were asked to mediate on the difference of opinion between you and the Colonial Office as to who should make the initial settlement of claims for the rent of and damage to, property occupied by Chinese troops in Hong Kong in 1945/46.
On
Our first reaction was that the British Military Administration could be said to have acted in its capacity Civil governing authority, and that the liabilities deriving from this activity should have passed to the Hong Kong Government, the evidence available, however, I am not now so sure that this opinion could be sustained. We cannot, for instance, be certain that had the Hong Kong Government been in existence at the relevant time it would have accepted the decision of the Supreme Commander to route Chinese Troops through its territory and provided accommodation for them, The whole operation savours of a military exercise in which the Civil Governments were not really concerned, se do not, of course, know the whole story, but as we now see it, we are doubtful whether we should be justified in requesting the Hong Kong Government to inherit this liability.
There is a further advantage in leaving it to you to handle this claim, in that it is then quite clear that it is proper to a Chinese-United Kingdom settlement. If we make this a claim by the Hong Kong Government, it is just possible that the Chinese
A. L. Maussett, Ray.,
War Offic8.
Whitehall,
S.7.1.
/will
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