FO371-24688 — Page 389

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Słonial

Office Reference No. 13139/11/140.

With the compliments of the U.S. of S.

Date

4/18/40

Reference

TELEGRAM (EN CLAIR)

Colonial Offic:

O.A.G.

01.40 hrs.

D. 29th November,

ovember, 1940. 6th December, 1940.

Ro

But weh, a+ BUD BES

502

F 5436

9 DEC 1940

HONG KONG,

NO, 767.

A Committes of relatives of evacuates has been formed

I have been locally under the chairmanship of the Dean of Hong Kong. asked by the Committee to transmit to you a petition the body of which is in the following terms. That the Evacuation Representation Committee hereby petition that the compulsory Evacuation Orders should be further revised so that evacuates who left the Colony of Hong Kong for Australia and elsewhere owing to such Evacuation Order should be permitted to return to the Colony if they so desire for the following reasons, The original Evacuation Order caused grave dissatisfaction indignation and unrest. There were many contributory causes some of the principal being first that the requisite steps were not taken to prepare for any emergency between the time when the original scheme was worked out on behalf of the Government in 1939 and the

Secondly, such date of the Evacuation Order on the 28th June, 1940. evacuation entailed a blundering and unjust racial discrimination

Thirdly, owing to the manner amongst British citizens of Hong Kong. in which the Government of the Colony operated such Order exemption was granted to many who had no right to it and many justifiably

This entitled to such exemption were unable to obtain its dissatisfaction, indignation and unrest were increased in the minds of the law-abiding citizens of this Colony by the Hong Kong Government's subsequent notification appearing in the press on the 7th and 8th November for this new Order ponalised those who were obedient to the original Order and left and condoned the disobedience

Your of those who ignored the original Order and remained. petitioners therefore humbly request that the Right Honourable the Secretary of State for the Colonies will give the necessary directions to the local Government by which all those evacuates who desire to return to the Colony may be permitted to do so. Further, that the necessary financial assistance by way of free passage may be provided without delay, and that if the necessary financial arrangements cannot be made forthwith, those who are able in the first places to advance the expense of a return passage may do so without prejudice to their right to recover such financial assistance as and when

Also that permission should be the necessary scheme can be arranged. given for the return to the Colony at their own expense of any who may have been absent from the Colony on leave or btherwise when the Evacuation Order was made. Further that those who, acting on the advice of the local Government remain away may have the same financial arrangements made for them as were made when evacuation was compulsory and be given an undertaking that Government will keep the situation continually under review to enable such persons to return immediately Government consider that their absence from the Colony is no longer to be recommended and will be granted the same facilities and

Your petitioners and those whom financial assistance to return.. they represent fully recognised that if evacuates or other female relatives are allowed to return immediately they do so at their own risk and cannot expect again to be evacuated at Government's expense» Your petitioners, as loyal citizens, are fully aware of the gravity

of

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