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3. ON OTHER QUESTIONS RELATING TO PRISONERS:-
(A) THE QUESTION OF EXTRA WINTER CLOTHING SEEMS TO HAVE DIED
A NATURAL DEATH IN PROPAGANDA HERE. IN ANY CASE:
(1) NO REPEAT NO CLOTHING HAS BEEN DELIVERED AT THE PRISON
SINCE THE OFFER WAS MADE IN JANUARY SENICOLON AND
(11) IT WOULD OBVIOUSLY BE RIDICULOUS TO DISTRIBUTE THE CLOTHING
IN WHAT IS NOW TO ALL INTENTS AND PURPOSES SUMMER WEATHER.
THE COMMUNIST PRESS OF 19TH MARCH IMPLICITLY RECOGNIZED THIS
WHEN IT COMPLAINED THAT THE CLOTHING HAD STILL NOT BEEN DISTRIBUTED
BY THE BRITISH AUTHORITIES, ALTHOUGH SPRING HAD ALREADY COME.
(B) I PRESUME THAT THE COMPLAINT OF INADEQUATE EXCERCISE FOR
PRISONERS REFERS TO STANLEY INMATES FATHER THAN DETAINEES.
THE PROBLEM IS THAT ONLY 200 OF THE 700 CONFRONTATION PRISONERS
AT STANLEY HAVE AGREED TO WORK IN ACCORDANCE WITH ORDINARY
PRISON CONDITIONS. THE REMAINDER ARE THUS NORMALLY CONFINED
TO THEIR CELLS WHEN OTHERS ARE WORKING, BUT FOR THE LAST MONTH
THEY HAVE HAD ONE HOUR'S EXCERCISE PER DAY, INSTEAD OF THE USUAL
30 MINUTES.
4. TELEGRAM FOLLOWS ON THE QUESTION OF RICE.
FO PLEASE PASS PRIORITY PEKING AS MYTEL 169.
SIR D. TRENCH
[REPETITION TO PEKING REFERRED FOR DEPARTMENTAL DECISION.]
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