54
Regester
Reference..
Mr. MacInnes
155
You will recall that yesterday you mentioned to me that the P.U.S. had seen telegram 109 from Peking and wished to be kept informed of any action proposed on it in so far as it affected Hong Kong.
When the Governor, Sir David Trench, was over here we did mention to him that one of the points which Lord Shepherd hoped to discuss further with the Governor was the question of a gesture of an amnesty for minor offenders. Yesterday evening Lord Shepherd discussed the Peking telegram with the Department and Lord Shepherd thought that if a gesture was to be made the timing was important and the impression should be avoided that it was being made as a result of his own visit to Hong Kong. An additional factor in timing is the point mentioned in the attached letter from the Governor to Sir Arthur Galsworthy, i.e. that there are already rumours in Hong Kong that a demand would be made in "mid-October" by the "C.P.G." for an amnesty. Lord Shepherd therefore felt that if the gesture of an amnesty is to be made it should be made before any demand by the C.P.G. or other Communist organisations is put forward.
We have had brief discussions on this with the Foreign Office and I attach the draft of a telegram which is on the lines of the discussion with the Minister of State on Wednesday evening and which we hope to clear with the Foreign Office this morning.
I am sending a copy of this minute to Sir Morris James.
Thanks
NPH.
(H.P. Hall)
5 October, 1967.
re, Hall
5.6. бро
A
"The POS has accepted the F.O. objections to this
draft. was sent.
have
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Котвалилея 6
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that
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reised telegram