Office of the Historian

740.00119 PW/8–1745: Telegram

The Secretary of Commission at New Delhi (Bishop) to the Secretary of State 15
Kandy, Ceylon, 17 August, 1945.

TST 233. I have just been informed by Dening16 that the British Foreign Office will assign Diplomatic and Consular Officer to different Force Commanders in SEA to act as political advisers during the interim period. This is prior to the reestablishment of regular Diplomatic and Consular Offices in the non-British sections of this Theater. The function of these advisers will be to report the economic and political conditions in the areas formerly held by the Japs.

Dening’s personal attention (he stated) will be given to the problem of protecting Allied interests in the reoccupied areas and he, therefore, requested that any questions concerning American interests in the reoccupied areas be channeled through him until such time as the normal channels are restored and American Consular Offices are reopened.

Parties are being sent by OSS to the NEI, Thailand, Malaya, and probably Borneo. Lists of American properties in these areas are requested for these people so that the present condition of such properties can be expeditiously reported.

[
Bishop
]
  1. Paraphrase received through military channels on August 17.↩
  2. Maberly E. Dening, British Political Adviser to the Supreme Allied Commander, Southeast Asia Command.↩