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BOTH THE LETTER AND THE STATEMENT CONCLUDED WITH THE USUAL DEMANDS
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FOR APOLOGIES, THE END OF PROVOCATION AND CUOTE ACCEPTING THE
CONSEQUENCES UNGUOTE, THE COMMUNIST PRESS TODAY HAS MADE A MAJOR
SUE OF THESE PROTESTS, WITH PARTICULAR EMPHASIS ON LAST NIGHT'S
EVENTS SEMICOLON PREVIOUSLY ONLY ONE MINOR PAPER HAD COVERED THÈ
EVENTS OF 1ST AND 2ND CCTOBER.
4. THE CROWDS APPEARED TO HAVE BEEN MADE UP MOSTLY OF INDIVIDUALS
RATHER THAN OF GROUPS FROM COMMUNIST ORGANISATIONS. THIS SEEMS TO
SHOW THAT DIRECTIVES FROM THE LEADERSHIP TO AVOID TROUBLE WERE
BEING OBEYED IN THE MAIN. THERE IS FURTHER EVIDENCE THAT THE
1.A.
LEADERS ARE TRYING TO AVOID A CLASH WITH THE POLICE BUT, HOWEVER
MUCH THEY DISAPPROVE, THEY PROBABLY FELT THAT THEY HAD NO CHOICE
BUT TO PROTEST ABOUT POLICE ACTION. THE LETTER AND THE N.C.N.
STATEMENT ARE PROBABLY THE LEAST THEY COULD DO TO ASSUAGE THEIR
FOLLOWERS. IT IS POSSIBLE THAT THEY WILL TRY TO EVOKE A PROTEST
FROM PEKING, EVEN IF IT IS ONLY A RE-PUBLICATION OF THE N.C.N.A.
STATEMENT.
IT IS QUITE POSSIBLE THAT CROWDS WILL FORM AGAIN TONIGHT AT THE
BANK OF CHINA. FOLLOWING THE FIRST NIGHT'S DISORDERS, HOWEVER,
WE WOULD EXPECT THAT THE LEADERSHIP IS NOW EMPHASISING EVEN MORE
STRONGLY THE NEED TO PRESERVE ORDER. IT IS STILL EXPECTED THAT THE
BANKS DECORATIONS WILL BE REMOVED ON 5TH OCTOBER.
F.0. PASS IMMEDIATE PEKING
SIR D. TRENCH
[REPEATED AS REQUESTED]
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