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HONG KONG TELEGRAM NO. 596 TO COMMONWEALTH OFFICE
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2. THE TEMPO OF VISITS BY COMMUNIST DELEGATIONS HAS INCREASED AND
ALTHOUGH THEY CONTINUE TO REMAIN GENERALLY ORDERLY, THE USE
OF WOMEN AND CHILDREN MAY INCREASE THE DANGER OF INCIDENTS.
THE ABSENCE OF PUBLICITY IN. THE COMMUNIST PRESS FOR 'REINSTATEMENT'
DELEGATIONS IS PROBABLY DESIGNED TO AVOID HIGHLIGHTING THEIR
LACK OF SUCCESS AND, WHILE MOST UNIONS INTEND TO CONTINUE THIS
LINE OF ACTION, THE DIRECTIVE TO MEMBERS OF THE KOWLOON BRANCH
OF THE M.T.W.U. TO OBTAIN ALTERNATIVE EMPLOYMENT MUST BE SEEN
BY ITS MEMBERS AS AN ADMISSION OF FAILURE BY THIS ORGANISATION
TO OBTAIN REINSTATEMENT. IN A SIMILAR MOVE BY THE MAIN COMMUNIST
TEXTILE UNION AT THE END OF MARCH 1968 CTELEGRAM NO. 30 [GP. UNDEC] REFERS
THE MAJORITY AFFECTED STOPPED PARTICIPATION IN UNION ACTIVITY
WHEN THE STRIKE PAY CEASED. THE CONSEQUENCES WITHIN THE M.T.W.U.
COULD BE VERY FAR REACHING FOR THE COMMUNIST LABOUR MOVEMENT,
IN THAT IN THE MOTOR TRANSPORT FIELD THERE ARE SOME 9,000 WORKERS
ON STRIKE.
3. THE PAY INCREASES GRANTED IN BANKING AND UNDER ACTIVE CONSIDERATION
IN OTHER COMMUNIST COMMERCIAL SPHERES, COME AT A TIME WHEN
COMMUNIST UNIONS ARE REDUCING THEIR ALLOWANCES AND UNION MEMBERS
MAY CONSIDER THAT THEIR FINANCIAL SUPPORT IS BEING CUT DOWN
IN ORDER TO PROVIDE FUNDS FOR THE PAY RISES OF THEIR COMPATRIOTS
AND A SHARPER DIVISION BETWEEN LABOUR AND OTHER CIRCLES MAY
APPEAR IN THE NEAR FUTURE.
4. THE ANNOUNCEMENT BY THE HEUNG TO MIDDLE SCHOOL REGARDING
THE OPENING OF TWO NEW SCHOOLS AND THE ATTENDANCE OF NON-
COMMUNIST STUDENTS AT RECENT FUNCTIONS, COULD PORTEND AN EFFORT
BY THE COMMUNISTS TO EXPAND THEIR INFLUENCE IN EDUCATIONAL
CIRCLES AFTER A COMPARATIVELY QUIET PERIOD, DURING WHICH THESE
SCHOOLS SOUGHT TO CONSOLIDATE THEIR RANKS.
5. THE FACT THAT, SO FAR, THE SHUNTING ENGINE HAS BEEN LEFT
FREE OF SLOGANS DURING TRIPS INTO C.T. COUPLED WITH THE GENERAL
ABSENCE OF ANY ANTI-HONG KONG PROPAGANDA AND ANY INCIDENT OF
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