HC Deb 07 February 1951 vol 483 cc1724-6
24. Mr. Maclean

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if he will make a statement regarding the closing of His Majesty's Consulate at Tihwa and the expulsion of His Majesty's Consul.

Mr. Ernest Davies

Yes, Sir, but as the statement is necessarily long I will, with permission, circulate it in the OFFICIAL REPORT.

Mr. Maclean

Cannot the Minister say why our Consul was thrown out of Tihwa in this way?

Mr. Davies

The statement is of such length that I should not like to weary the House by reading it now; but there were alleged charges of espionage which were quite incorrect and unjustified, and we are protesting to Peking against the expulsion.

Mr. Maclean

Can the hon. Gentleman say what Consular representation we now have in Chinese Turkistan?

Mr. Davies

That is another question.

Mr. S. Silverman

Will my hon. Friend indicate that he does not share the opinion, which appears to be expressed by hon. Members opposite, that it is possible at one and the same time to sever our diplomatic relations and keep our Consulate open?

Following is the statement: H.M. Chargé d'Affaires at Peking has been instructed to make strong representations to the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs over the expulsion of Mr. Fox Holmes, H.M. Consul-General at Tihwa, in Sinkiang, on alleged charges of espionage. Mr. Fox Holmes, on arrival at Hong Kong in January, reported to the following effect on the events leading to his expulsion:

(1) Search of all personnel and premises took place on 4th and 5th December, 1950. At 10 a.m. two public security officers claimed that my repeated requests to them to enter the public office of the Consulate amounted to a refusal to allow a routine search of the premises under their right as census officials.

(2) Immediately 30 armed men and women took over, first searching both men and women after the removal of their outer clothing, then each room separately. This process lasted for 37 hours without let up interspersed with interrogations, false accusations and constant surveillance even to the extent of ladies being accompanied into bathrooms. Speech with one another was forbidden.

(3) Just before midnight on 5th-6th December the police departed after obtaining three signatures to the effect that:—(a) We had been courteously treated throughout; (b) nothing had been removed other than (c) listed articles, including two rifles, 2,000 rounds of ammunition for same, one pistol and 40 rounds, all of which had been registered months before; numerous unclassified documents including "in" and "out" telegram files, account hooks, two Indian Code Books dated 1935, some 80 sheets of Turki script, alleged to have been "discovered" in my unlocked steel cupboard; one letter from Mr. Hall Paxton, U.S. Consul, Tihwa, to Mr. Leighton Stuart, enclosing a report on economic and agricultural conditions in Sinkiang never previously seen by me.

(4) Guards were left in the house and all Consular personnel placed under house arrest.

(5) On 8th and 11th December, I was interrogated at length on Mr. Hutchison's and Foreign Office en Clair telegrams to me; source of financial supplies; reason for maintaining the attitude that I had the right to protect American property; my relations; why the Ministry of Works, Hong Kong, should control my spending on building materials in Tihwa, etc., etc.

(6) A brief record of a final three and a half hour interrogation at the Central Police Office by eleven police officials was written in Chinese and then signed by me as being a factual statement of their questions and my answers.

(7) I was only allowed to return to the Consulate after I claimed exhaustion had brought on a heart attack—my pulse being 140 per minute.

(8) On 27th December I was called to the Central Police Office, where the expulsion order was read to me only once in the following terms:

  1. (a) The Central Government of the People's Government of China had found me guilty of espionage crimes against the Chinese and Russian people.
  2. (b) I, together with my family and staff, must leave China within five days.
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  3. (c) Only sufficient luggage for our immediate personal needs might be carried.

(9) We left Tihwa by Hamiatta airline for-Peking with 15 kilos per adult, 7 per child, everything else having been confiscated.

(10) We arrived in Peking on 30th December, were taken to the security police H.Q. in what used to be the British Embassy military barracks, and after 5 hours delay, without food for the whole day, taken to a filthy Chinese hotel for the night. At no time were we allowed to get in touch with Mr. Hutchison (H.M. Chargé d'Affaires at Peking).

(11) On 31st December we went by train to Tientsin under escort, placed in the Rich hotel and not allowed to leave the bedroom or talk with anyone. Those of the party with no shoes were allowed to buy some through the police. We had arrived in felt boots and furs, as the Tihwa temperature was minus 15 degrees Fahrenheit the day we left.

(12) We were then put on board the s.s Heinrich Jessen for Hong Kong.