FO371-46251 — Page 275

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NOTHING

ΤΟ

BE

WRITTEN

IN

THIS

MARGIN.

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217

(a) At the time of its cession in 1842 Hong Kong

was a desolate island with no inhabitants

except a few fishermen.

British enterprise

and good government have built it up to be

one of the great seaports of the world, with a

population of nearly a million inhabitants.

(b) With the removal of the protection afforded

by extra-territoriality and a probability of

unsettled conditions in China for some years

after the war, Hong Kong is likely to acquire

increasing importance and value as a base from

which British merchants and industrialists

can operate in China.

(c) Having lost Hong Kong to the enemy, it is a

point of national honour for us to recover it,

7.

and restore it to its normal state of order

and prosperity.

The most recent official statement on His

Majesty's Government's policy towards Hong Kong

was made by Mr. Attlee, then Deputy Prime

Minister, on November 8th, 1944, in reply to a

question in the House of Commons by Mr. Astør

as to whether Hong Kong or any other part of the

Empire was excluded from the Prime Minister's

declaration that it was not proposed to liquidate

the British Empire. Mr. Attlee replied:-

"No part of the British Empire or Commonwealth

of Nations was excluded from the scope of the

declaration referred to."

.tt.

The following supplementary question was then

put by Mr. Astor:

"While expressing great pleasure that this

declaration has come from the Leader of the Labour

Party, may I ask him whether all encouragement

will now be given to British firms to prepare

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plans/

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