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HONG KONG TELEGRAM NO.855 TO COMMONWEALTH OFFICE.
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8. APART FROM THIS, HOWEVER, THE MEASURES I INTEND TO TAKE TO HAMPER THE COMMUNISTS IN THEIR ATTEMPTS TO REGAIN THEIR FORMER STRONG POSITIONS APE ONLY THOSE OF MINIMUM PRUDENCE. CONFIDENCE
HERE IN OUR DETERMINATION TO RESIST MUST BE MAINTAINED: IT IS CUR
CHIEF BULWARK AGAINST A GRADUAL OR NOT SO GRADUAL DISSOLUTION OF
OUR POSITION. WE MUST TRY TO OUTFLANK COMMUNIST ATTEMPTS TO WIN
ADHERENTS AND REGAIN STRENGTH BY IMPROVED ADMINISTRATIVE AND SIMILAR METHODS: BY BETTER ORGANIZATION TO MEET THE THREAT: BY BETTER PUBLIC INSTRUCTION AND COUNTER-P POPAGANDA AND SO ON. WHEN WE HAVE GOOD GROUNDS, SUCH AS WHEN THE LAW HAS BEEN OPENLY BREACHED, WE MUST OP ENLY OPPOSE THEM: ESPECIALLY IF THE LATITUDE OTHERWISE
GIVEN WOULD CAUSE PUBLIC SCANDAL OR LOSS OF CONFIDENCE. IN MAN Y
WAYS WE HAVE HAD TO BE OVER-LENIENT IN THIS ALREADY: AND IT MAY NOT
BE FULLY UNDERSTOOD HOW MANY AND HOW FLAGRANT ARE THE ABUSES WE
HAVE PATIENTLY PUT UP WITH.
9. BUT THE PRECEDING TELEGRAM DOES NOT MEAN THAT I AM PROPOSING TO GO SO FAR AS THE PEKING TELEGRAM UNDER REFERENCE SEEMS TO FEAR. ANYTHING WE CAN DO MUST BE DONE CAREFULLY AND AS DISCREETLY AS POSSIBLE. I AM NOT AT PRESENT INTENDING TO CLOSE EXISTING SCHOOLS, OR TAKE ANY SIMILAP SORT OF DIRECTLY HOSTILE ACTION WITHOUT OBVIOUS GROUNDS FOR IT: ALTHOUGH IN FACT I HAVE AMPLE JUSTIFICATION FOR SO DOING, NOR DO I MIND THE PEACEFUL PROPAGATION OF THE THOUGHTS OF MAO PER SE: BUT I DO OBJECT TO STANDING ASIDE AND DOING NOTHING TO INHIBIT, EVEN IN THE RAPE CASES WHERE I CAN DO SO, THE SPREAD OF A SYSTEM WHICH CONCENTRATES ON THE TRAINING OF YOUTH IN HATRED AND VIOLENCE. NOR COULD I READILY ACQUIESCE IN ANY POLICY OF GOING SUBSTANTIALLY FURTHER PASSIVELY TO ALLOW THEM TO DOMINATE US, UNLESS AND UNTIL THIS BECOMES OUR CONSIDERED POLICY.
10. FINALLY. THE CHARGE CAN BE ASSURED THAT THE SITUATION OF THE MISSION IS VERY MUCH IN MY MIND AT ALL TIMES, AND WHATEVER I CAN DO TO HELP | CEPTAINLY WILL.
CO PLEASE PASS PRIORITY PEKING.
SIR D TRENCH
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