FO371-46257 — Page 98

Page 98

Page 98

NOTE D.

Chinese Affairs. There is no Chinese Secretary in Hong Kong, and Mr. North, who has been in charge of this Department, is on his way home to the United Kingdom. He has supported Sir Robert Kotewall and his group; and has issued a rather rash statement about them to the Press; but these people seem to be viewed with general suspicion as having been too collaborationist during the Japanese occupation. A "War Activities Committee" has been set up under Colonel Ride to investigate all such people. Meanwhile there is nobody in the Hong Kong Administration who has any knowledge of developments in Free China, and Mr. Keswick has proposed to the Commander-in-Chief that there should be a China consul in the Administration to deal with the Colony's external relations. While this is a good idea, I have pointed out that we have no consuls at present available. Might it not be possible, as a temporary expedient, to provide somebody for this job from an organisation such as British Army Aid Group, continuously in touch with Chinese affairs within the last few years? If I am right in believing that the opportunity of the Colony in the near future is very great, the importance of a good appointment to this job is obvious; and I think that careful consideration should be given to the secondment of a China Consular Officer for the post as a regular posting for the future. The Commander-in-Chief will doubtless take this up with the Colonial Office.

There is a feeling that Mr. M. K. Lo, a leading Hong Kong solicitor, may be the best representative of the local Chinese. The "War Activities Committee" will no doubt consider his record and there is an idea that he, perhaps accompanied by a second Hong Kong Chinese, might come up to Chungking to make contact with Chinese circles here. If the Hong Kong Administration agree that he should do so I have said that I would establish contact in his name with Mr. Wen Yuan-ning, who is a great personal friend, so that his entry into Chungking official circles should not be difficult. We do not of course wish to embarrass the Administration by pinning their flag for them to Mr. M. K. Lo's mast, but as I met Mr. Lo in Hong Kong, I think it would be all right to arrange some contacts for him on the social level.

Meanwhile the Kuomintang have got moving in the Colony under the guidance of a Mr. Sum, about whose activities there is some disquiet. He has already embarrassed the Administration by organising a series of demonstrations, in honour of General Pan Hwa-kuo, etc., and the Commander-in- Chief has sent General Pan a letter saying: (1) that they would like to be consulted beforehand about such manifestations, (2) that they have no official cognisance of Mr. Sum's position as Kuomintang Representative and (3) that in any case they would prefer to clear all such matters through the Representative of the Chinese Government when that official has arrived, as is normal in international practice. It is known that Mr. Sum is a Chen Chak man and the Administration wish to keep their lines clear with the Canton Administration. It was therefore felt that further action required to restrain Mr. Sum might be: (a) that Brigadier MacDougall

/should,

Page 98

Page 98

Page 98