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NOTE F.
Public Relations. Having been briefed by Mr. Stanley Smith before I left as to possibilities of assistance from here, I discussbd the publicity situation with Brigadier MacDougall. He wants any film projectors and news-reels or documentaries which Mr. Stanley Smith can spare. Mandarin "dubbing" is good enough but he is less interested in films with English sound tracking. Film strip projectora and strip strips would also be useful but Cantonese speakers would be required either from China or trained in Hong Kong by one of Mr. Smith's men.
As to represent atives of the Chinese Ministry of Information and of the Fa Kung Pao for Hong Kong, the Brigadier is generally in favour of their going in. The Ministry Representative must however consider himself as under the general control of the Liaison Officer who is to be the Chinese Government's official represent ative in Hong Kong The Administration want to establish this official as responsible for all Chinese official organisa- tions in the Colony: and I told both the Brigadier and the Commander-in-Chief that I thought this to be a proper course. The Ta Kung Pao man may go in as soon as he can get his papers in order and I think he might get a lift by R.A. F. from Kunming and a letter of introduction from Mr. stanley Smith. Hong Kong should be notified of his name etc., be- fore he leaves.
I gather that each of the service authorities has its z own Public Relations Office but that the C.A. Department are too short-handed to provide an effective service to press- men and the like.
It is, however, important that Hong Kong be presented to the outside world in general and to China in particular as a progressive place and a small unit to handle press-men and publicity is urgently required. Brigadier MacDougall asked whether Mr. Stanley Smith could himself go down to advise on this. I said that owing to Ministry moves in Chip this might be an awkward moment for Mr. Stanley Smith: but that I thought either he or a member of his staff might be apared for a short visit. There may be enough mon in the Hong Kong newspaper offices to run a small press relations office under Brigadier MacDougall's direct control and I think a visit most desirable.
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