1
}
TOP SECRET
designated officers on the day evacuation is ordorod;
most of those
officers would havo no prior knowledge of what they would be expected to do.
12. The secret of this plan has boon woll kopt in Hong Kong although its
existanco has been known to a number of government officers. It is
arguable, thorofore, that we might safely oxtond the knowledge of any plan
within Hong Kong a little wider than the limits now laid down. Wo think
this risk might be worth taking if, by doing so, wo could produco an
offcctivo plan. But our conclusion is that no plan can be produced that
has any chance of offective implomontation unloss it includos dotailed
proparation on the ground and advanco knowledge on tho part of all those who
aro concerned in carrying it out, and oven then, for the reasons given in
paragraph 9, its success would be doubtful.
Conclusions
13.(a)
Consistent with the security requiromonts laid down, only an
outline plan of very limited offcctivonoss can be prepared for evacuation,
whothor of largo or small numbers. In practico it scoms almost certain
that in the circumstancos envisaged the most that wo could do would bo to
ovacuato a very small number of persons whoso escapo was essential cither
for security reasons or because they wore particularly vulnerable.
(b)
An outline plan for large-scale ovacuation might succood in
circumstances of nogotiatod withdrawal, in which time was available to
improvise dotailod arrangements whon evacuation was ordered. It could not
be successful in conditions of enforced withdrawal.
(c) In the case of an enforced withdrawal, a limited evacuation of
very vulnerable people (with their families) by such Service transport as
was available at the time (perhaps with American assistance) would probably
bo possiblc. The majority of those people would bo of Chinoso raco.
But, subject to detailed study, it would not scom possible that the total
numbers could oxcood about 2,000 and there could be no guarantoc that ovon
they could be got away. Any such operation would have to bo v ry quick
and vory simple and would bost bo carried out at night. In addition to tho
TOP SECRET
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.