FO371-46251 — Page 216

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(F 4739/1147/G)

SECRET

FOREIGN OFFICE, S..1.

4th August, 1945. 175

My dear Gent,

You have very kindly sent us a record of the meting in your room about Hong kong on 3rd July, (Your Yeference is ko. 54144/7 of 27th July).

*..

With regard to paragraph (9), our idea was that it would be desirable to inform Chiang Kai-shek in advance, in order to avoid the situation contemplated under paragraph (12), of any S.0.E. plan designed to meet a situation when Hong Kong might otherwise be occupied by troops not under the direct control of the Central Government. In doing so it would not be necessary to specify the complexion of such troops. We did not contemplate seeking his consent to the plan. Our idea was merely to inform him in general terms of the contingency we had in mind, the difficulty of meeting such a contingency by means of the normal civil affairs arrangements, and the emergency

arrangements we were accordingly making to deal with it.

Yours sincerely,

(d)(J.C. Sterndale Bennett)

G.M.J. Gent, Esq., C.M.G., D.S.O.,

Colonial Office.

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