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1. THE ATTITUDE OF BRITISH SUBJECTS IN ENEMY OCCUPIED

CHINA.

.71495/1494/10.

THE COMMITTEE considered a Memorandum by the Foreign Office (F.E.(0)(42)2), regarding the instructions- which should be sent to British subjects in Occupied China on their attitude towards the Japanese Authorities.

SIR JOHN BRENAN explained that, although advice had only been asked for in the case of Mr. Godfrey Phillips, who was Secretary of the Shanghai Muncipal Council, it would certainly be passed on to other British subjects. In framing the advice, it was necessary to balance the sacrifice which might be called for from our nationals who were without protection and subject to reprisals against the degree of advantage to Japan's war effort of our nationals carrying on their work during the occupation.

MR, DEAN said that His Majesty's Government had the right to tell British subjects what they could or could not do. The occupying power, however, had also certain rights. They could require local inhabitants to perform certain duties, when military exigencies made this necessary. British subjects could refuse to carry out these duties, but in this case they might become destitute. If they were to carry on, the occupying power could require them to do so in a loyal fashion., British subjects could not, of course, be forced to engage in military operations or anything of that nature.

LT.-COL. FRENCH pointed out that our own treatment of Italians in Occupied Italian Colonial territory might give some guide to us for advising. British subjects in Occupied China. We continued to employ Italian subjects in Eritrea and Italian Somaliland and paid their wages. The Italian Government were glad to see these men remaining. There was no question of their carrying out duties directly connected with the war effort.

THE COMMITTEE then discussed the precise wording of the advice which was to be given to Mr. Godfrey Phillips. It was pointed out, on the one hand, that the Dutch and Belgian Governments had appealed to their nationals to hinder in every possible way the task of the enemy authorities and it was undesirable to lag behind our Allies in this respect. On the other hand, the attitude taken by British subjects in Shanghai need not be regarded as a precedent applying to territories which had been actually captured by the enemy (as was also the case 'with the Dutch and Belgian territories concerned). Moreover, the message had to be delivered through the Protecting Power and it would be difficult to ask the Swiss Government to pass on advice that British subjects should do their best to embarrass the Japanese war effort.

e.g.

MR, YOUNG suggested that a clear distinction might be drawn between action by British subjects which minimised the hardships of the civilian population hospital work) and action which might directly help war effort (e.g. the working of the Kailan mining administration).

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