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HONG KONG TELEGRAM NO.216 TO COMMONWEALTH OFFICE
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MESSAGES AND ADVERTISEMENTS INSERTED BY COMMUNIST ORGANISATIONS,
RACING TIPS, STORIES AND FILM REVIEWS. RICE AND CLOTHING FROM
KWANGTUNG AND ALLEGED HARDSHIPS SUFFERED BY SQUATTERS AND
HAWKERS WERE OTHER MAIN LOCAL THEMES OF THE COMMUNIST PRESS.
(F) THREATS BY RAILWAY WORKERS AND CUSTOMS OFFICIALS AT LOWU C.T. ON 16TH FEBRUARY, WHO DEFACED A CLEAN KOWLOON CANTON RAILWAY CK.C.R.) SHUNTING ENGINE WITH INFLAMMATORY SLOGANS,
THAT THE ENGINE WOULD BE DETAINED IF THE CREW DID NOT DISPLAY
PORTRAITS OF MAO. REPRESENTATIONS ABOUT THE THREAT WERE MADE`
TO NCNA. THE ENGINE ENTERED C.T. TWICE WITHOUT INCIDENT BUT A
RETURNED IN THE EVENING WITH THE PORTRAITS AFFIXED BY C.T.
PERSONNEL. THE ENGINE BEARING THE PORTRAITS HAS SINCE ENTERED
C.T. DAILY WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT.
2. DURING THE WEEK, EDUCATION DEPARTMENT STAFF CARRIED OUT
INSPECTIONS AT 7 MINOR COMMUNIST CONTROLLED SCHOOLS, IN A RELATIVELY QUIET ATMOSPHERE. NO INFLAMMATORY MATERIAL WAS
SEEN. TWO COMMUNIST SCHOOLS IN ARREARS OVER THEIR RATES HAVE
NOW PAID UP.
3. THE WIDESPREAD USE OF PROPAGANDA POSTERS BY THE F.T.U.
IS PROBABLY INTENDED NOT ONLY TO PERSUADE A WIDER SECTION
OF THE PUBLIC TO REGISTER WITH THE UNIONS, BUT ALSO TO ATTRACT MORE SYMPATHY AND SUPPORT FOR COMMUNIST ATTEMPTS TO FORCE
GOVERNMENT TO PERMIT THE IMPORTATION AND DISTRIBUTION OF THE RICE, OUTSIDE NORMAL CHANNELS, AND TO MAINTAIN MORALE WITHIN
THE COMMUNIST RANKS.
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4. THERE HAS BEEN LITTLE PUBLIC INTEREST IN THE REPUBLICATION: {
OF THE THREE SUPPRESSED NEWSPAPERS. MANY COPIES ARE PROBABLY BEING PURCHASED BY NON-COMMUNISTS, OUT OF CURIOSITY, BUT IT. SEEMS LIKELY THAT THE CIRCULATION OF THESE NEWSPAPERS WILL
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