CODE 18-77
Mr R Cummins, FED
HKBOLO 12
Reference.
ос
HONG KONG: JAPANESE REPARATIONS
1.
Following yesterday's meeting it might be helpful to summarise the present position.
2.
We agreed a line to take to enable Lord Caithness to respond to the Reparation Association, Hong Kong, if the subject were to be raised again during his visit (FCO telno 1729 refers).
3. Further action. You agreed to institute enquiries of Research Department on the following points:
(a) was the question of Japanese currency issued during the war considered at the time of the 1951 Peace Treaty?
(b) was any form of compensation in respect of this currency considered at that time?
(c) the Reparation Association's letter of 13 September to Lord Caithness refers (at para 9) to compensation received What were the details of by a number of SE Asian countries. these agreements?
4.
FED's submission of 16 February 89 referred to a letter from Mr Austin Mitchell MP on the subject of Wartime Japanese Bank Notes. Reference is made in para 2 of the submission to the Bank of Japan having been consulted (by FED?) and the possibility of the bank being prepared to honour its own wartime bank notes. This is a very helpful reference, if it can be traced.
5.
Whilst appreciating that FED is leading on this subject, you might consider contacting Chanceries in the posts referred to in para 3 (c) above for local enquiries to be made about agreements for compensation which were made with the Japanese these could well help the case for Hong Kong.
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6. Presumably, once the foregoing information has been assembled, a decision will need to be reached on the form in which the subject should be raised with the Japanese Government. We thought an approach by our Chancery in Tokyo would be the best course.
19 September 1990
Maumer
T Furness
Hong Kong Department WH 312 270 2653
M
24/49.
33
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