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2.
Generalisimo. He is not empowered under General Order No.1 to accept the surrender of General Okumura under whose overall Command Hong Kong falls till after signature of main instrument by MacArthur why therefore should a small part of Generalissimos' Command be empowered to surrender before he himself has received the essential overall surrender in the China theatre.
Para 2. The Generalissimos' attitude is quite clear. When his representative meets General Okumura a day or two after the Tokyo surrender former will instruct latter to nominate local subordinate Commanders whose surrender General- issimos' nominated subordinate Commanders will take. In deference to our wishes and in accordance with General Order No.1 Admiral Harcourt will be nominated in respect of Hong Kong. The Chinese ask and London seems to support them what possible valid objection we can have to this procedure!
Para 3. Assuming their arguments were accepted the Chinese and incidentally the Americans would certainly publi- cise the fact the British were empowered to accept the surrender of Hong Kong by the Generalissimo. Yet surely the only thing that really matters is that we, after suffering a grievous defeat at Hong Kong in 1941 have in our turn accepted the surrender of our enemy there in 1945: however indirect our own contribution to that happy event (gp undecipherable) of necessity and unfortunately (gp undecipherable).
Para 4. It is not for me to comment on the
implications of a serious disagreement with the Generalissimo at this moment. Never the less I feel in duty bound to express the opinion that if as at present seems likely, I fail to secure the presence of Chinese and American representatives at the Hong Kong surrender latter will be regarded by both as a
/unilateral..
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