FO371-46257 — Page 59

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wishes. There are, however, very considerable practical difficulties. These craft fall into two categories, those now present in Hong Kong waters and others which are thought to be in Chinese waters. The position in Hong Kong at present is that there are a large number of small craft in the harbour, most of them quite definitely Japanese and others which may well be British. The position to date is that it has been quite impracticable to conduct a detailed survey, and as you know, I have already telegraphed for an MWT Survey or to be sent up here to carry out this task. I am not clear as to what action you wish me to take in regard to launches and lighters which have never been under requisition to H.M.G. but were previously requisitioned to the Hong Kong Government. Up to the present I have treated this as the responsibility of the new Civil Affairs Administration here as they are not the type of craft that M.W.T. would normally handle, i.e. we have never tried to run caiques and schooners in the Mediterranean under any form of requisition.

7. It will be extremely difficult to identify craft in Chinese waters under present conditions. The position is that Hong Kong is virtually cut off from the rest of China, and our relations with the Chinese Authorities are of a very restricted and difficult nature. There are, no doubt, a great number of small craft, for instance, in and around Canton which may have been on British Register. The only way of obtaining information about them is to do it through Military and Naval Intelligence and this may entail a certain amount of expense. Would you be prepared to authorise this, bearing in mind that they are nearly all small and

I am asking may never have been on H. M. G. requisition. Flag Officer of Western Area, who is responsible for British Naval ports on the China Coast to do what he can to identify any British shipping, but I cannot hold out very much hope of producing the answer you require until the China ports are opened up.

F.H. Keenlyside, Esq.,

Yours sincerely, (Signed)

Ministry of War Transport,

Berkeley Square House, LONDON, W. 1.

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