NOTHING TO BE WRITTEN IN THIS MARGIN
W(B)L 51-7406
Draft by Mr.Smallman
XX
CONFIDENTIAL
I should add a word here about how
this proposal affects the well-tried
convention that comment by one Commonwealth
country about another's affairs(normally) is
not passed on to a third. This convention
t/pass
is referred to in a memorandum about the
principles governing the supply of
L
Diplomatic Reports to Commonwealth countries
which is shortly to be issued as part of a
section on Diplomatic Reports in Volume 2 of
Diplomatic Service Procedure. The memorandum
authorises controlled relaxation of the rule
in certain special cases.
Even then, however, it is not intended
that the material should be circulated beyond
My Natu
a few senior people.Naturally High
Commissioners will have this rule in mind
in considering what classified material
might be passed on to Hong Kong, and Arthur
Maddocks' filter will clearly come in to
play, particularly where political comment is
involved. But I imagine, nevertheless,
that there will be a fair amount of factual
and perhaps unclassified material on the
economic side to which these precautions will
not apply. Certainly we will do what we can
here to give a quick decision on any request
for clearance for Hong Kong of material
which might be sensitive.
CONFIDENTIAL