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40
Hong Kong Department,
31 December, 1969.
Thank you for your letter of 18 December and for the copy of the letter addressed to Sir Edmund Compton by the Hong Kong branch of "Justice".
I am enclosing photostat copies of two press cuttings from Hong Kong newspapers which contain articles to either of which Justice may have been referring.
I understand that you spoke to Wilford shortly before Christmas and that he confirmed that we saw no objection to a reply being sent to Justice on lines that you indicated to him. We should be grateful if we could be sent a copy of that reply in order to complete our records.
It appears that this whole affair, which is most unfort- unate, was almost certainly the result of a misunderstanding. I say this because Carter, who saw Sir David before the latter's return to Hong Kong on 12 December, recalls that the Governor was quite explicit in telling him that the Parliamentary Commissioner had agreed to his views being quoted by the Governor on the latter's arrival back in Hong Kong.
You did tell me that you were not asking us to pursue the subject any further and we do not propose to do so. The Parliamentary Commissioner will doubtless take the matter up with the Governor if he considers it necessary or desirable to do so.
(A.W. Gaminara)
E.L. Sykes, Esq., C.M.G.,
Secretary to the Parliamentary Commissioner,
Church House,
Great Smith Street,
S.W.1.