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Carswell told me confidentially that, while they objected to this action, they would not, out of sympathy for Britain, take any action unless forced to do so.
13. Finding that babies and children had been kept waiting about for some considerable time while the question was being argued, I at once issued instructions that all army families, both those from Manila and from Baguio, should be accommodated on board the "Awatea" that night; that I would at once send an urgent telegram to the Commodore explaining the situation and asking for his instructions; and that whatever those instructions were I would see that they were carried out. A reply arrived during the night that "Awatea" should sail without delay with full complement; this was communicated to the master of the vessel which sail- ed for Australia later in the morning.
14.
The agitation of the residents of Hong Kong and of the unofficial members of the Legislative Council of the Colony against the enforced evacuation had its repercussions in Manila and many women came to the Consulate and demanded to be sent back. The permission later granted that those who were dependent on the Colony for their livelihood as well as all Eurasians who had been evacuated could return to the Colony increased the clamour. So far as I can ascertain nearly 200 of the 1700 civilian women and children evacuated to Manila were permitted to return to Hong Kong.
15. Of the 3,500 women and children refugees who reached Manila from Hong Kong, 2,900 were reevacuated to Australia, while approximately 30 women and 20 children still remain at Manila within the evacuation scheme; the women are all medically unfit to travel for the present (mainly pregnancy) and will be sent on to Australia by ord- inary liner as soon as they are able to travel. Over 500 have left the evacuation scheme, of which about 200 have been permitted to return to Hong Kong, while the remainder have either left for other destinations or are remaining in the Philippines at their own expense. The following is a list of the sailings of evacuee ships from Manila to Australia. Each ship was to call at Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne.
Name of Vessel.
"Christian Huygens"
Date of Sailing
from Manila.
Number of Passengers.
28th July.
592 civilians
"Indrapoera"
1st August.
368 naval and dockyard
11
11
Slamat"
4th
373 dockyard, H.K.R.N.V.R and civilians.
11 Awatea' #1
!!
5th
940 army
"Johan de Witt"
6th
IT
286 civilians
"Zealandia"
?!
9th
339 civilians.f
16.
include a few army families.
The Hong Kong evacuation has accentuated the dis- advantages of the situation of the consul-general's residence,
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