§ 3. Mr. James Callaghanasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what arrangements are being made to aid and succour the 30,000 men and their families of the East River Column who helped our cause so valiantly during the war in the Pacific and who have now reached Hong Kong.
Mr. Noel-BakerI understand that the strength of the East River Column was between five and six thousand armed men. Of these some 2,400 were embarked on 29th June for transport to North China in American ships. The remainder have now been disbanded. Only a few of them have so far reached Hong Kong. Payments have been made to members of the Column to cover the expenses they incurred in helping Allied nationals to escape from Hong Kong during its occupation by the Japanese. This is in accordance with our practice in Europe as well as in the Pacific, and for that reason I hope that my hon. Friend will agree that further help of this kind would be inappropriate.