CONFT BEAFI AL
4
appeared in the two most recent "Daily Telegraph" weekend
magazines, while he was in or near China.
C.
Mr. George fatt
9. On 12 March the Chineco made public through the Now.
China News Agency that Mr. Coorge Watt, a British engineer
working for Vickers-Zimmer Limited on a project for the con-
struction of a polypropylene plant in Lanchow in North-West
China, was being held on charges of espionage, and a further
release of 16 March reported that the Lanchow Municipal
Intermediate People's Court had sentenced Mr. Matt on the
previous day to three years' imprisonment. At the same time,
Mr. Deckert, a German subject employed on the same plant and
similarly charged, was sentenced to be deported from China.
He has since arrived in Europe. On learning of Mr. Watt's
sentence tho Chargé d'Affaires in Peking hao again applied
for consular access and has asked for details of the charges
against Mr. Tatt. No reply has yet been received.
10. Fr. Watt and Mr. Deckart had been detained in their hotel
in Lanchow since September last, but until the Chineso
announcement of 12 March it had not been possible to obtain
any information, despite repeated approaches by the Chargé
d'Affaires and by Vickers-Zinner, except that they had boen
engaged in activities "outside the scope of their contracts".
Publicity had been avoided on our part and by the firm because
of the risk that it would push the Chinese into the action
they have now taken. As far as we know, the only basis for
the Chinese charges is the fact that Kr. att may have taken
/photographs
CONFIDENTIAL