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*** Our ReF: CRLM 341

41/79

HKK CHO

250

RECEIVER

25, October, 1979

來函檔號 YOUR REF.:

RJ

McLaren Esq

Hong Kong & General Department

F C D

lee

MR WALTER EASY

DESK OFFICER INDEX

PA

"on Tukan

Mr Willyson

Mw weeds

PA.

"(Future J An)

notes.

Thank you for sending me Walter Easy's seminar

He has been In its way, it is quite clever. good at picking up all our evasiveness about long-term issues. The trouble is that his conclusion in no way follows from the argument. The only supporting evidence he ought really to adduce for his theory is the strange reference in the Crossman diaries to a special Hong Kong committee allegedly working on "withdrawal". No decent historian, however, would base such a far-fetched thesis on such flimsy evidence.

2.

the piece:

3.

(i)

(ii)

Two particular points occur to me in reading

Easy's careful quoting of Parliamentary Questions about treaties, Royal Instructions, etc. suggests that he is the originator of the questions; and

his interpretation of the significance of a new British Nationalities Act (page 22) underlines what we have all been saying about the danger of this being misunderstood.

I hope

We will look out for any signs of the Easy thesis appearing in local Chinese journals. it doesn't.

see 283

ел

d

(D C Wilson)

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