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TOP SECRET CYPHER TELEGRAM

WARNING This message must be thoroughly paraphrased if its text is to be published or communicated outside British or American Services or Departments. If

re-transmitted unparaphrased other than through the Cabinet Office, the originator must mark the message to be sent in One-Time Pad."

66

ir1012/

119

13/41

LA

فل الأنيم موديل

TOO

TUR

10304 0$1120 0800132

1945

From:

C. in C. Hong Kong

To:

S.A.C.S.L.A.

A.L.F.S.4.A.

Info:

War Office(for Civil Affairs)

D.S.T.0. S.A.C.S.E.A.

D.S.T.0. Mal aya

Admiralty

Cabinet Offices

X CCM

5th November, 1945.

1.

In two

We have now reached a crises in stocks of all foodstuffs, we have rice sufficient only to last until November 14th. This situation has come to a head through the apparent inability to get foodstuffs of any kind to us from sources contemplated in YWP. months we have received 6,000 tons of rice and nothing elsc. Chinese authorities now enforcing 1941 order

This dries up our only banning export of foodstuffs. stop gap source which has hitherto boun exploited to the full. There is now no possibility of alleviation from local sources,

2.

It did appear from your signal, ALFSEA No. 6427Q(MOV)

12700 15th October 1945 that two ships carrying perhaps 7,500 tons of rice were due to load in Bangkok for early November arrival in Hong Kong. Subsequently this programo scoms to have been altered leaving only the Ningham loading say 2,500 tons and the Yee Sang has just been allocated in Hong Kong to proceed to Saigon to load 2,300 tons. Our total rice in sight is therefore just over 5,000 tons and none of that can arrive in Hong Kong until third or fourth week in November. Altogether then for three months our receipts will be 11,000 tons of

Meantime we have no rice out of a total of 36,000 tons. knowledge of any further supplies due here.

3.

NIT

Your signal 311239+ October indicates you are searching for a solution but to save us from a complete debacle we must get rice immediately from a nearer source. Only solution seems to be to allocate the FIC surplus of 15,000 tons to Hong Kong if it is immediately available we could then endeavour to earmark shipping to lift it.

4.

However, long term continuity of supply is

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