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HONG KONG TELEGRAM NU.185 TO COMONIZALET OFFICE
2. ALL THESE PRISONERS CAN NOW RECEIVE REGULAR MONTHLY VISITS
FROM RELATIVES AND FRIENDS, WHO MAY INCLUDE REPRESENTATIVES OF
THE ORGANISATIONS EMPLOYING THEM. THE CHINESE REQUEST TO BE
ALLOWED TO MAKE ''OFFICIAL VISITS SEEMS TO BE BOTH A DELIBERATE
EFFORT TO FORCE US TO MAKE A GESTURE OF SUBSERVIENCE TO THEIR
DEMANDS AND TO BE IN EFFECT A CLAIM THAT THE PEOPLE VISITED SHOULD
BE TREATED AS HAVING SOME SPECIAL QUASI-OFFICIAL STATUS. WE
REALLY NEED TO BE EXTREMELY CAREFUL ABOUT GIVING COUNTENANCE
TO ANY SUCH CLAIM.
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3. IT IS EASY ENOUGH TO DRAW THE LINE ROUND EMPLOYEES OF OFFICIAL
CHINESE ORGANISATIONS. BUT IF WE GO BEYOND THIS CATEGORY WE OPEN
THE DOOR WIDE TO DISCRIMINATION IN FAVOUR OF THE GREAT BULK OF
COMMUNIST PRISONERS SEMICOLON AND THIS COULD EASILY LEAD TO SERIOUS
TROUBLE WITH OTHER PRISONERS. I AM AFRAID I AM RELUCTANT TO TAKE
THIS RISK, EVEN FOR THE SAKE OF HELPING GREY. CI AM MUCH LESS
CONCERNED ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY (PARA 3(C) OF YOUR TELEGRAM UNDER
REFERENCE) OF THE CHINESE SEEKING TO ARRANGE THE RELEASE TO CHINA
OF A SUBSTANTIAL NUMBER OF IMPRISONED JOURNALISTS IN EXCHANGE FOR
GREY SEMICOLON AS I HAVE SAID BEFORE, THE EFFECTIVE DEPORTATION OF
LARGE NUMBERS OF COMMUNISTS FROM THE COLONY IS SOMETHING THAT
WOULD,BE ACCEPTED WITH EQUANIMITY BY PUBLIC OPINION HERE.)
4. IN ANY CASE, THE MFA HAVE ALREADY BEEN TOLD QUITE CLEARLY
(PEKING TELEGRAM 98) THAT WE CANNOT AGREE TO VISITS TO THESE
''OTHER PATRIOTIC JOURNALISTS''. AS A MATTER OF TACTICS, WOULD
IT BE WISE TO YIELD THIS POINT ALMOST AT ONCE IN RESPONSE TO
CHINESE PRESSURE?
/5. I CAN SEE
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