MARGIN.
TO
BE
WRITTEN
IN
THIS
NOTHING
Page 20
Registry
No. F 5752/1147/G.
Page 20
2 August 1945.
Draft.
Colonel Price,
Cabinet Offices.
Copy to
Mr. Gent,
Colonial Office.
IMMEDIATE.
TOP SECRET.
Dear Price,
The Chiefs of Staff will have seen
Chungking telegram No. 946.
2. We do not ourselves see anything dero-
gatory about signature by the Chinese repre-
sentative as a witness. In fact, as the
surrender is to be to Admiral Harcourt, it
would appear to be inappropriate for other
Allied representatives present to sign in any
other capacity than as witnesses.
3.
We have seen the instructions to Generals
Wedemeyer and MacArthur contained in J.S.M. 17
and note that, subject to receiving the all- clear from General Wedemeyer, General MacArthur
is told to arrange for the surrender of Hong
Kong "to the British". This seems categorical
enough, but we observe from J.S.M. 16 that
President Truman has been told by Chiang Kai-
shek that the latter agrees "to delegate his
authority to accept the surrender of Hong Kong
to a British Commander".
4.
It seems important therefore to know in
exactly what terms the Japanese Commander in
Hong Kong will be instructed to surrender
by General Order No. 1. It is conceivable that
the instruction might be to surrender to the
British Commander as the delegate of Chiang
Kai-shek. I thave, therefore, been instructed
if to suggest that/ the Chiefs of Staff have not
already done so it might be advisable for them
to ...
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