FO371-23518 — Page 311

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7th July, 1939 134

Dear Grimsdale,

I wonder if you could take up with General

Ando's Staff the question of releasing the Chinese

soldiers incapable of further military service who

are still detained in Hong Kong?

As you no doubt

know, the Governor proposed to release these people

at the beginning of April, but as the Japanese Consul-

General expressed a wish to inform his Government we

also took up the matter here and asked if instructions

to co-operate might be issued to the Japanese

authorities concerned.

There appear to have been no

further developments.

We have no doubt that all Parties are anxious

to get the question out of the way, and I am sending a

copy of this letter to the General Staff here asking

them to collaborate.

Colonel G. E. Grimsdale,

H.Q., China Command, Hong Kong.

Yours sincerely,

(sd)

F.S.G. Piggott

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