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2
CNOT ALL PREMATURELY NOR ALL ASSOCIATED WITH THE ISSUE OF VISAS)
WILL HAVE BEEN RELEASED AGAINST 22 VISAS RECEIVED. IT MAY BE
POSSIBLE TO RELEASE A FEW MORE LATER IN THE MONTH OR EARLY IN NOVEMBER, BRINGING THE NUMBERS UP TO APPROXIMATELY THE SAME LEVEL. AFTER THAT, NO DOUBT OTHER RELEASES WILL BE POSSIBLE FROM TIME TO TIME, BUT WE SHALL BEFORE VERY LONG BE GETTING DOWN TO THE REALLY
HARD CASES.
6.
IN SHORT, BY ABOUT NOVEMBER THE BALANCE BETWEEN DELAYED VISAS AND TOTAL RELEASES MAY HAVE BEEN APPROXIMATELY STRUCK. THEREFORE THE CONSIDERATION OF RELEASES SHOULD BE DIVORCED FROM EXTRANEOUS FACTORS AND BASED STRICTLY ON THE PROPER CRITERIA OTHERWISE WE RISK SOME WELL-MEANING PERSON OR ORGANISATION ATTACKING US
PUBLICLY ON WHAT WE HAVE BEEN DOING AN ATTACK AGAINST WHICH
IT MIGHT NOT BE AT ALL EASY TO DEFEND OURSELVES: IF THE ACCUSATION TAKES THE LINE THAT WE ARE CUNDERLINE NEXT WORD)
RETAINING DETAINEES FOR USE AS BARGAINING WEAPONS.
PARTICULARLY
7. FINALLY, AS YOU ARE AWARE, I CUITE SERIOUSLY DOUBT THE VALIDITY OF THE PREMISES ON WHICH MUCH OF THE LATTER PART OF PEKING TELEGRAM
NUMBER 871 IS APPARENTLY EASED.
PEKING.
FO PLEASE PASS ROUTINE PEKING
SIR D. TRENCH
[REPEATED AS NIQUESTED]
DEPARTMENTAL DISTRIBUTION
C.O.
H.K.D.
F.0.
F.E.D.
C.O.
DEFENCE DEPT.
NEWD DE. T.
PERSONNEL DEPT.
F.0.
U.N.D.
CONSULAR DEPT.
I.P.D.
I.R.D.
NEWS DEPT.
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