ROUNDUP NEW MATTER MISSION 5 HONGKONG
THE GOVERNMENT SPOKESMA 9 SAID THE COMMUNIST MISSION WAS BELIEVED TO HAVE ARRIVED AT THE CHINESE BORDER TOWN OF SHUMCHUN LAST NIGHT.
HE SAID THE MISSION WOULD NOT BE ALLOWED TO ENTER THE COLONY.
THE COMMUN9STS HAD CLAIMED THE MISSION WAS BEING SENT TO BRING GREETINGS AND RELIEF FROM THE MAINLAND TO CHINESE RESIDENTS "PERSECUTED" BY THE BRITISH .
BECAUSE OF FEARS THAT THEIR ARRIVAL MIGHT LEAD TO FLAREUPS BETWEEN CHINESE PRO-COMMUNIST AND PRO-NATION AL IST POLITICAL FACTIONS, ALL POLICE LEAVE WAS CANCELLED AND RESERVE POLICE AS WELL AS THE REGULAR FORCE WERE ORDERED TO STAND BY.
A PARTY OF 100 CHIESE LABOURERS BELONGING TO LEFT WING TRADE UNIONS SET OUT BY TRAIN IN HONGKONG TO WELCOME THE COMMUNIST COMMITTEE. BUT POLICE STOPPED THEM AT FANLING VILLAGE, TWO STATIONS BEFORE THE BORDER. CORRESPONDENTS WHO TRAVELLED IN THE TRAIN WERE ALSO HALTED £
MORE...
...(LL)
0925
ROUNDUP NEW MATTER MISSION 6 HONGKONG
POLICE DISCONNECTED THE COACH IN WHICH THE "WELCOME COMMITTEE" WAS TRAVELLING. BUT ONE MEMBER WAS ALLOWED TO CROSS TO
THE CHINESE SIDE OF THE BORDER WITH INSTRUCTIONS TO TELL THE MISSION THAT THEY "CAN.OT COME IN TODAY."
IN THE BRITISH-LEASED NEW TERRITORIES ON THE MAINLAND POLICE SET UP ROADBLOCKS AND CHECKED ALL PASSENGERS, BUSES, TAXIS AND PRIVATE CARS. "UNAUTHORISED TRAVELLERS"
WERE TURNED BACK FROM THE BORDER.
IN CHINESE VILLAGES IN THE NEW TERRITORIES RED AND BLACK STARRED COMMUNIST FLAGS WERE FLOWN TO WELCOME THE "COMFORT MISSION."
ONE VILLAGE PUT OUT A LARGE PORTRAIT OF COMMUNIST LEADER MAO TSE-TUNG WITH THE WORDS: "WELCOME TO THE MISSION." REUTER 0928 LL
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