FO371-46251 — Page 179

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NOTE OF A MEETING HELD 5TH JULY TO CONSIDER THE QUESTIONS RAISED IN COLONEL RIDE'S REPORT OF THE 25TH APRIL

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Present:

Mr. Sterndale Bennett, Mr. Kitson (Councillor at the Embassy in Chungking, who is at present in this country), Lieutenant Colonel Molony (M.I.2.) Mr. MacDougall, Mr. Paskin and Miss Ruston.

Colonel Ride's view, as expressed in this Report, is that B.A.A.G. should not be used in any operations on Hong Kong. He says that he and his organisation have always denied to the Chinese that they were concerned with the re-taking of the Colony and that if after all they should be used for this purpose they would be "damned in the eyes of both Chinese and Americans for a long time", and that British prestige in South China would suffer accordingly.

B

On the other hand it is the suggestion of the Colonial Office that Colonel Ride and suitable personnel of B.A.A.G. should be used (a) in the staffing of the Civil Affairs Administration after the re-capture of Hong Kong, and (b) in the formation of an emergency British Civil Administration which could be used, if necessary, to raise the Union Jack in Hong Kong before the arrival of the Civil Affairs Administration proper.

The purpose of the meeting was to see how these opposing conceptions could be reconciled.

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Mr. Gent suggested that the first duty of B.A.A.G. as a British organisation must be to make their contribution to the main interests of His Majesty's Government in South China and that the over-ruling consideration of British policy in that area must be the effective recovery of Hong Kong. He did not suppose the Foreign Office would wish to be faced with the embarrassing situation that would arise if Hong Kong were occupied by Chinese claiming to assert and retain authority in the Colony.

6.

Both Mr. Sterndale Bennett and Mr. Kitson agreed with this view and Mr. Kitson added that he thought Colonel Ride over-estimated the value to British prestige of his relations with the Chinese. In his view it would be natural, and the Chinese would so regard it, that B.A.A.G. personnel should return to Hong Kong. soon after its liberation.

7. Mr. MacDougall explained that in Colonel Ride's judgment the most important function which B.A.A.G. as an escape and evasion organisation would perform, would be after the fall of Hong Kong when it might be expected that European Prisoners would be moved by the Japanese towards Hankow. This view was supported by Lieutenant Colonel Molony but it was decided that the claims of Hong Kong must take prior place and that if Colonel Ride and other of his officers were required in the Civil Affairs administration, they should be directed there.

8.

As to using Colonel Ride and some of his officers to establish an emergency British administration, this posed the question of pre-liberation activity. Lieutenant Colonel Molony said that he thought the telegram proposing this scheme was just about to be issued. It would go to General Hayes and in

accordance

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