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HONG KONG TELEGRAM NO. 1820 TO COMMONWEALTH OFFICE
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PREVENT THE USE OF THE PREMISE FOR ILLEGAL PURPOSES RATHER THAN E.G. INSTRUCTION IN THE THOUGHTS OF HAO SEMICOLON AND WE SHALL TAKE THE GREATEST CARE IN FUTURE CAS HITHERTO TO ENSURE THAT RAIDS TAKE PLACE ONLY WHEN WE HAVE THE CLEAREST REASON TO BELIEVE THAT OFRACES
ARE BEING COMMITTED IN A PARTICULAR SCHOOL.
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PUPILS 5. THE ACTION AGAINST CHUNG WAH SCHOOL WAS NOT PUNITIVE'. AND STAFF OF THE SCHOOL HAVE BEEN INCREASINGLY INVOLVED IN BREACHES
OF THE LAW SEMICOLON TWO TEACHERS AND SEVENTEEN PUPILS HAVE BEEN ARRESTED FOR 'STRUGGLE' OFFENCES SINCE SEPTEMBER SEMICOLON AND WHEN
WE GOT SUCH VERY DRAMATIC AND PUBLIC EVIDENCE THAT THE PREMISES WERE BEING USED FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF EXPLOSIVES WE HAD NO OPTION BUT TO TAKE ACTION.EXECUTIVE COUNCIL TODAY ADVISED THE DEREGISTRATION OF THE CHUNG WAH SCHOOL AND THE HEADMASTER AND TEACHERS SEMICOLON BUT THE TIMING OF THE DEREGISTRATIONS AND THEIR ANNOUNCEMENT HAVE BEEN LEFT TO MY DISCRETION: AND I WILL TAKE NO FURTHER ACTION UNTIL I HEAR FURTHER FROM YOU. IF THE SCHOOL IS NOT TO BE DEREGISTERED· IN THESE CIRCUMSTANCES, HOWEVER, IT IS HARD TO THINK OF ANY MORE
VALID GROUNDS FOR THE DEREGISTRATION OF A SCHOOL.
6. I COULD ALSO RECONSIDER THE DETENTION OF THE HEADMASTER WONG CHO- FAN LATER: BUT I DOUBT IF I COULD BOTH RELEASE HIM AND NOT DEREGISTER
THE SCHOOL.
7. THE PRESS. THE MAJOR DIFFICULTY HERE IS THAT 'WEN WEI PAO' HAVE ALREADY IN EFFECT DARED US TO CONTINUE THE ACTION CY TELEGRAN 1771 PARAGRAPH 1 REFERS) AND HAVE PROPHESIED THAT WE SHALL NOT DỌ GO BECAUSE WE ARE FRIGHTENED OF THE CONSEQUENCES. NEVERTHELESS,
PROPAGANDA CLAIMS OF THIS SORT BY THE COMMUNISTS NO LONGER CUT TOO HUCH ICE IN HONG KONG SEMICOLON AND I AM PREPARED TO ASK OLIVIER IF, IN VIEW OF THE APPARENT BEARING OF HIS CASE ON THE TREATMENT OF THE STAFF IN PEKING, HE WOULD BE PREPARED TO WAIVE THE CLAIM FOR DAMAGES AS PROPOSED IN PARAGRAPH 3 OF PEKING TELEGRAM 298. ASSESSMENT OF DAMAGES IS DUE ON DECEMBER 14, BUT IAM ADVISED THAT IT WOULD DE AS WELL TO DISCONTINUE THE ACTION BEFORE THE DAY SET FOR THE HEARING. IF THIS CONCESSION HAD ANY USEFUL EFFECT ON THE C.P.G., I WOULD BE
/PREPARED TO
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