Office of the Historian

893.50 Recovery/5–2549

Memorandum of Conversation, by the Chief of the Division of Chinese Affairs (Sprouse)

[Washington,] May 25, 1949.

Mr. Ford informed me today that the British Embassy had received a telegram from the Governor of Hong Kong reporting his conversations with Mr. Lapham and Consul General Hopper in regard to the question of the establishment of ECA headquarters in that city. He said that the Governor had informed them that he had no objection to the temporary establishment of ECA headquarters at Hong Kong for the purpose of “winding up” ECA operations, it being estimated that this would require from six weeks to two months. Mr. Ford added that the Foreign Office had concurred in the decision of the Governor of Hong Kong as conveyed to Mr. Lapham and Consul General Hopper.