ERS 500
PRIORITY
CYPHER CAT.A:
FM F C 0. 0713007
CONFIDENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL
TO PRIORITY HONG KONG TELEGRAM NO 5 OF 7/1.
TOP COPY
FOR WILLIAMS FROM KIDD (HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE)
MIPT: FABIAN SOCIETY PAMPHLET ON HONG KONG
1. PAMPHLET IS DIVIDED INTO FIVE CHAPTERS WITH
FOLLOWING HEADINGS:
1. THIS VERY PECULIAR PLACE
2. BRITAIN IN CHINA
3. ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL CONDITIONS
4. WHY DOES CHINA STAND BY?
5. WHAT CAN BE DONE?
Ri
[
THE BULK OF THE PAMPHLET CONSISTS OF AN UP-TO-DATE AND REASONABLY WELL RESEARCHED ANALYSIS OF ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL CONDITIONS IN HONG KONG. IT IS WRITTEN FROM A FABIAN VIEWPOINT AND IN A MORE BALANCED STYLE THAN QUOTE HONG KONG A CASE TO ANSWER UNQUOTE. IT LACKS THE LATTER'S MARXIST BIAS, BUT MANY OF THE CRITICISMS ARE SIMILAR. THE PAMPHLET DESCRIBES ITSELF AS AN ATTEMPT TO INFORM A WIDER PUBLIC ABOUT CONDITIONS IN HONG KONG, TO EXPLAIN THE REAL DIFFICULTIES WHICH INHIBIT CHANGE AND TO SUGGEST AREAS OF PRACTICAL REFORM: FOR CHANGE THERE MUST BE, IT
·SAYS.
2. IN ANALYSING WHAT CAN BE DONE, THE PAMPHLET
DISCARDS THE POSSIBILITY OF HANDING HONG KONG BACK
TO CHINA, AND SUGGESTS INSTITUTING A GENUINELY REPRESENTATIVE SYSTEM OF GOVERNMENTN AND QUOTE LETTING THE HONG KONG
PEOPLE TAKE IT FROM THERE UNQUOTE. FINALLY, THE PAMPHLET
CONTINUES QUOTE BRITAIN COULD RECOGNISE THAT PRESENT SITUATION BRINGS LITTLE BUT ODIUM AND CONSEQUENTLY DETERMINE
TO INITIATE VIGOROUS PROGRAMME OF SOCIAL REFORM.
SUCH AN ASSUMPTION OF PATERNAL RESPONSIBILITY
BY THE COLONIAL POWER WOULD BE A RATHER UNFASHIONABLE
CONFIDENTIAL
/THING