(118281) Dd. 391599 1,500M 2/69 Hw.
NOTHING TO BE WRITTEN IN THIS MARGIN
Registry
No. HKK 10/8
SECURITY CLASSIFICATION
Top Secret.
Secret.
Confidential.
Restricted. Unclassified.
PRIVACY MARKING
In Confidence
TOP SECRET & PERSONAL
DRAFT letter
Type 1 +
To:-
His Excellency
Sir David Trench, G.C.M.G., M.C.,
Government House,
From
Mr Carter
Telephone No. & Ext.
Hong Kong.
Department
Flag A Flag B
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Flags D&E
Shortly before your return to Hong Kong last
December I mentioned to you the matter of the
Requisition of Ships Order, 1955. Our discussion of
the matter was very brief indeed and in case you do not
recall the detail I am enclosing a short note which will
give you the background.
The last correspondence on this subject between
Hong Kong and ourselves was the Secretary of State for
the Colonies' top secret Savingram No. 1929 of 31
October, 1957; Hong Kong top secret Savingram No. 2231
of 16 December, 1957 (Hong Kong reference No. D/OP/1(SA)
and the Secretary of State's top secret Savingram No. 71
of 9 January, 1958. The reason for that correspondence
was the need to amend the 1955 Order to bring it up to
date following the grant of independent status to the
Gold Coast and the Federation of Malaya. The result was
the making of the Requisition of Ships (Amendment) Order,
1958. The Order (with, of course, the amending Order)
has never been published; it has been held in readiness
against an emergency.
During the past eleven years or so a considerable
number of other territories have achieved independence
within the Commonwealth and certain countries, referred
to in the Order, are no longer members of the Common-
wealth. Moreover, the relevant functions of the
TOP SECRET & PERSONAL