FO371-24688 — Page 25

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Extract from War Calinet

THE FAR EAST.

Evacuation of Hong Kong.

inte

F34-75."

24 JUN 1940

are

June

Caclarion

22 wee

1751 40%. 1940.

244

11. THE VICE CHIEF OF THE IMPERIAL GENERAL STAFF said that when, on the 19th June, instructions had been issued for precautionary measures to be taken in Hong Kong, the General Officer Commanding had recommended that the maximum number of white women and children should be evacuated forthwith to Manila. The numbers involved were considerable, and it had been thought botter that no action should be taken until the Foreign Office had been consulted. Meanwhile the Governor of Hong Kong had himself taken the view that all the necessary preparations should be made short of actual evacuation.

THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS said that the view of our Ambassador in China had been that all defence measures should be taken,

The but that evacuation should not be ordered. whole situation hinged on the attituse of the Japanese, He (the Foreign Secretary) had talked to the Japanese Ambassador on the previous day and had shown him the report of the interview which had taken place between a member of the Japanese General Staff and our Military Attaché in Tokyo. The Japanese Ambassador had been inclined to minimise the importance of this interview but he (the Foreign Secretary) had made it clear that we had no option but to accept a message coming from that quarter as a reponsible statement.

Dealing with the general question of Japanese intentions, the Foreign Secretary felt that we could not hope for any definite commitment on the part of the United States as to the help which they would give us in the event of hostilities with Japan, They would certainly give us no answer to the flat question of whether they would be prepared to go to war.

In discussion, it was suggested, as an alternative to putting a direct question to Washington, that we might inform them that we had it in mind to withdraw our land forces from Shanghai in the near future. If the United States Government saw objection to this course,

the onus

of asking us to modify our plans would rest with them.

The War Cabinet

-

(i) Mecided that no evacuation

of the civil white population should be made from Hong Kong for the present,

(ii) Invited the Secretary of State:

for War to instruct the General Officer Commanding, Hong Kong, to make the necessary prepara914013; including the provision of shipping, for the evacuation to Manila of the wives and children of Service personnel in the event of evacuation being ordered at a later date,

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