ha
Flag E
The Foreign Secretary has asked me to
-reply be your letter of 28 Kay about your son
Eric, and his wife and son.
MA.
Since the letter Mr. Roberts wrote to
Mrs. Gordon on 7 May there has been a
development, of which we have already informed
your son Jeffrey, with whom we have been
keeping in close touch. A foreign resident
of the Friendship Hostel in Peking recently
told a member of our Mission that Eric and his
family had reappeared some weeks ago for about
a day, apparently under no form of restriction.
I must, I am afraid, emphasise that this
report is so far unconfirmed. We are doing
our best to obtain confirmation, but as you
know our Mission works under great difficulties
in Peking- In the meantime, we are continuing
to do all we can in the interests of your son
I
and his family. Mviäänyves raised his case
again with the Chinese Chargé d'Affaires ad
interim only ten days ago;and we shall continue
to press for information both here and in
Peking.
WEEL KEZDE
NOTHING TO BE WRITTEN IN THIS MARGIN
Sto.
Mr. Samuel
UNCLASSIFIED
K IVED IN
¦AR.......... VES No.31
20 JUN 968
=1/42
Flag A
Mr. Eric Gordon: letter from Hr. Gordon's family
I attach a draft reply from Mr. Rodgers
to a letter from the family of Mr. Eric Gordon,
whom we believe to be in detention in China.
Flag C Flag D
2.
The background to the case is in my
submissions of 1 May and 28 May.
(James Kurray)
76/6.
Fa142
Foreign Office London SW.1
33
Prom The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State
29 May, 1968.
23
Thank you for your letters of 20 May and 23 May to Gorowy Roberts (which
he has used me to answer) about the Gordon family, thought to be in
China. am sorry that your letter of 2 April went astray.
I
It has been very difficult to obtain news about the Gordons. They have
never been in touch with our Mission in Peking, and we did not know of
their
1
There
disappearance until . Gordon's brother, Mr. Jeffrey Gordon made
enquiries on 1 February. 1.0 tice of the Gordons has been found in Hong
Kong. Formal requests for information were made to the Chinese
cuthorities in Peking on 3 February, 1 and 25 March and 4 lfay. have
been frequent inform1 reminiers. I myself made strong representations to
the Chinese Chargé d'affaires i.. London on 5 April and 24 ay about
British subjects known or suspected to be under detention, and
specifically referred to the Gortions. We are in. close touch with Mr.
Jeffrey Gordon, who has apparently received no reply to letters to
highly placed Chinese officials nor to enquiries at the Chinese Mission
here in London.
Very recently we have heard from our Mission in Peking that they have
received a report tilt the Gordons were seen for one or two days some
weeks ago at the Friendship Hostel (a hostel where foreigners working
for the Chinese Government live) from which they nad earlier apparently
disappeared. We are trying to obtain confirmation of the report, but in
the difficult circumstances under vhien qur Mission and other foreigners
now work i. Pcking, to obtain further information is not easy. We have
told ir. Jeffrey Goition that we should not wish to place too optimistic
an interpretation on this one report until moře is known.
Merlyn Rees, Esq., K.P.,
House of Commons.
/In view
ри
latvo pr.
sime
we extant, will paper we
Ms Rodger
ALAMA
г
N
:
*
·
In view of the reported detention of other British subjects sympathetic
to the Chinese, e.g. Mrs. Epstein
and Mr. Michael Shapiro, it is, I am afraid, very possible that the
Gordons may have been detained.
4
There have been some signs of slight easing in our relations with the
Chinese; for example, a visit has been permitted to Mr. Anthony Grey,
the Reuter's correspondent under house arrest in Peking. If this. trend
continues, we may be in a position to do more for British subjects in
difficulties, including the Gordons. We shall in any case pursue our
enquiries with the Chinese authorities. If any information comes to
light from them or from other sources, I shall let you know immediately.
William Rodgers
!
WDBJL 31-743
NOTHING TO BE WRITTEN IN THIS MARGIN
Registry 142
No.
SECURITY CLASSIFICATION
Top Secret.
Secret
Confidential
Restricted.
Unclassified.
PRIVACY MARKING
In Cordómace
DRAFT
To:
Merlyn Rees, Esq., M.P., House of Commons, S.7.1
+
Type 1 +
From
Kr. Rodgers
Telephone No. & Ext
Department
Flag A
Thank you for your letters of 20 Kay and
23 May to Goronwy Roberts (which he has asked
me to answer) about the Gordon family, thought
to be in China. I am sorry that your letter
of 2 April went astray.
It has been very difficult to obtain news
about the Gordons. They have never been in
touch with our Mission in Peking, and we did
not know of their disappearance until Mr.
Gordon's brother, Mr. Jeffrey Gordon, made
enquiries on 1 February. No trace of the
Gordons has been found in Hong Kong.
requests for information were made to the
Chinese authorities in Peking on 3 February,
12 and 25 March and ↳ May. There have been
frequent informel remindere.
Formal
I myself made
strong representations to the Chinese Chargé
d'Affaires in London on 5 April and 24 May
about British subjects known or suspected to
be under detention, and specifically referred
to the Gordons. We are in close touch with
Mr. Jeffrey Gordon, who has apparently received
no reply to letters to highly placed Chinese
officials nor to enquiries at the Chinese
Mission here in London.
Very recently we have heard from our
Kission in Peking that they have received a
report that the Gordons were seen for one or
/two
33
two days some weeks ago at the Friendship Hostel
(a hostel where foreigners working for the
Chinese Government live) from which they had
earlier apparently disappeared. We are trying
to obtain confirmation of the report, but in
the difficult circumstances under which our
Mission and other foreignere now work in
Peking, to obtain further information is not
easy. We have told Mr. Jeffrey Gordon that
we should not wish to place too optimistic an
interpretation on this one report until more
is known.
In view of the reported detention of other
British subjects sympathetic to the Chinese,
e.g. Era. Epstein and Mr. Michael Shapiro,
it is, I am afraid, very possible that the
Gordons may have been detained.
There have been some signs of slight
easing in our relations with the Chinese;
for
example, a visit has been permitted to Mr.
Anthony Grey, the Reuter's correspondent under
house arrest in Peking. If this trend
continues, we may be in a position to do more
for British subjects in difficulties,
including the Gordoną. We shall in any case
pursue our enquiries with the Chinese
authorities. If any information comes to
light from them or from other sources I shall
let you know immediately.
28
ins27
р
NOTHING TO BE WRITTEN IN THIS MARGIN
29-1-
ร
32
Copy for M. Rodger 37
FE Dept for draft reply from
the Rodgers, pl.
22, Westbourne Gardens,
до
28/5.
Hove,
Sussex, EN3. 5PP
I
RECEIVED IN
Dear Sir,
28th. xay, 1963,
We should be obliged if you could please be so kind as to let us know
whether you have any news from China yet, of our son, Eric Gordon, his
wife, Marie, and their son, Kim, aged twelve years.
We are very worried about them, and hope that they are not
111.
We would be very grateful for any information you could
give of our son and his family.
Thank-you very much indeed.
AR HIVES No.31
-5 JUN 1968
Fa/2.2.
With all best wishes,
Your's at
sincerely,
4. Gordon. (Miss.).
A. Gordon, (Miss),
EP. KR. 4 MES. S. GORDON, & FAMILY.
Mrs. Gordon & Mr. S.Gorche
+ Family.
(krs. S. Gordon, and Kr. S. Cordórí, and Family.).
Draft reply has four opt
Ents
1
p%
RECEIVED N
+
- 6 JUN 1968
31
Fe1/42 trand's
ه بام
FE.
22, Westbourne Gāns.
Hove,
BN3.1 SPP.
Sussex, BN3 . | SPP.
1
N
. 21 vað
27th. May, 1968.
Dear Sir,
Pri
Rza
Could you please be so kind as to any news from China of our son Fic
Gordon, son, Kim, aged twelve years.?
let us know whether you have his wife, Marie, and their
They intended to leave Peking
They are presumed to be detained. on 5th November, 1967. We have not had
a letter from them for seven months; and they used to write regularly
every week.
are not ill. years old.
We are very worried and anxious about them, and hope that they
We are particularly worried about Kim, who is only twelve
Thank-you very much indeed.
With Best Wishes,
Yours singerely,
Mrs. Gordon, & Mr. S. Geading
Krs. & Mr. S. Gordon, & Family.
RECEIVED IN ARCHIVES No.21!
4- JUN 1968
Kay Gandan
10, DOWNING STREET, S.W.1.
PRIVATE SECRETARY
PRIV
Foreign Office
น
The attached communication addressed to the Prime Minister is
transmitted to you to be dealt whatever manner is considered appropriate
by the Department concerned. It refers to previous correspondence which
was forwarded to
you on
1. No acknowledgment has been sent from here.
2. A plain acknowledgment has been sent from here, adding that the
communication has been forwarded to your Department.
3. A plain acknowledgment has been sent from here, adding that the
communication is receiving attention. You should ensure that a
substantive reply is sent from your Department as soon as possible.
4. A copy of the acknowledgment which has been seat from here is
attached.
Date 30.5.68.
6467 Dd. 268461 20m 4/68 CHC 696
wim
Methodist Church
Kingsway Hall London WC2 Telephone 01-405 3246 ?
Sperintendent Minister
The
The Lord Soper MA PhD
West London Mission
4 JUN 1968
**Kingsway Creche
FC 1/42
Circuit Stewards
Mr Malcolm Spencer FPS
Prof Arthur Smailes MA DLit
St Luke's House
St Mary's House Grove House
Alfred Hartley House
Emerson Bainbridge House Goodliffe House
Fellowship House
31
Katherine Price Hughes Hostel Hopedene
WLM Clothing Store
The Under-Secretary for STate,
Foreign Office,
Whitehall,
London, S.W.1.
29 May 1968
Dear Sir,
I received the enclosed letter
which I think you
will find self-explantory - this morning.
I find it difficult to know how I can help this lady, and I am wondering
if you can give me any advice regarding the whereabouts of her brother
and his family.
I should be most grateful for any assistance you can give in this
matter.
Yours faithfully,
бори
The Ray. The Lord Soner
е
e 150
r
C
Dear Sir,
22, Festbourne Gardens,
Hove,
Sussex, BM3. 5FP.
28th May, 1968.
[
I am writing about my brother Eric Gordon, his wife, Marie,
and their son, Kim, aged twelve years, who are probably being
detained in China; and wonder whether you could help or advise in any
wy. The Foreign office have asked the Chinese about them, but have not,
so far, received any reply.
Eric and Marie went to Peking to work in 1965, and were due to leave on
5th November, 1967. They intended to get a Cargo boat from Hongkong, but
they did not cross the border into Hongkong, as there is
no record of it.
The last We have not had a . letter from them for seven months• letter
we had from them was 28th. Cctober, 1967. They said that they would
write next from Hongkong before getting on a boat, but we have not had
any letter. They used to write regularly every week, so something must
have happened to cause their letters to stop so suddenly like that,
after they had written so regularly for nearly three years.
He are very worried and anxious about my brother and his family, and
hope that they are not ill. We are particularly anxious about Kim, who
is only twelve years years old.
If you could possibly please help or advise in any way, we would be most
grateful, and really appreciate it.
Thank-you very much indeed.
With best wishes,
J
Yours sincerely,
Anita Gordon (Miss).
Anita Gordon. (Miss).
·
:
1
ओ
.
H
CONFIDENTIAL
RECEIVED IN ARCHIVES No.31
27 MAY 1968
3
Cypher/Cat A
PEKING TO FOREIGN OFFICE
F21/424
Telno. 482
25 May 1968
29
CONFIDENTIAL
Addressed to Foreign Office telegram No. 482 of 25 May, Repeated for
information to Hong Kong.
Your telegram No. 551: Gordon,
Further contact with informant in immediate future may be difficult. He
has however said that he will be applying to us in early June for Hong
Kong tourist visa as he is leaving China, and he gave the impression of
being willing to talk to people in Hong Kong. We shall try to talk with
him here when he applies and sh 11 in any case keep Hong Kong informed.
2. In 'crmant was quite certain of his identification of Gordon family.
Foreign Office pass Hong Kong 32.7.
Sir D. Hopson.
[Repeated as requested]
DEPARTMENTAL DISTRIBUTION
F.E.D.
News Dept.
Consular Dept.
C.O. H.K.D.
Граде
LANT
RET.
29
WEZI
DDDDD
CONFIDENTI AL
14.
FC
42
CYPHER/CAT A
CONFIDENTIAL
PRIORITY FOREIGN OFFICE TO PEKING
TELNO. 551
23 May, 1968
29
(F)
Jum 25/5 раз
CONFIDENTIAL.
ADDRESSED TO PEKING TELEGRAM NO. 551 OF 23 MAY REPEATED FOR INFORMATION
TO HONG KONG.
26
YOUR TELEGRAM NO. 448: GORDON,
THE FAMILY HAVE STILL RECEIVED NO NEWS FROM GORDON,
2. WOULD IT BE POSSIBLE TO OBTAIN FROM THE INFORMANT A CLOSER
PROXIMATION OF THE DATE ON WHICH HE SAW GORDON FAMILY, AND THE DEGREE OF
CERTAINTY OF HIS IDENTIFICATION?
SOSFA
DEPARTMENTAL DISTRIBUTION
FO: F.E.D.
NEWS DEPT.
CONSULAR DEPT.
CO: H.K. DEPT.
CONFIDENTIAL
LAST
REE.
梅菜蔬车
KET.
26
30
NOTHING TO BE WRITTEN IN THIS MARGIN
No. F
Registry No.
DEPARTMENT
F41/42
SECURITY CLASSIFICATION PRIORITY MARKINGS
Top
Flast
onfidential
Priority
(Date)..........
Despatched
• Date and time (G.M.T.) telegram should
reach addressEC(1),
111
2040
29
2375
YPHER
PRIVACY MARKING
In Confidence
Cypher
Draft Telegrapí to.
Peking
Nor/ 5:51
[Sect
Security classification" -if any
urification]
[ Privacy
Privacy marking -if any
[Codeword--if any]
Addressed to
telegram No..
And to
LITL
(Date) 23/5 repeated for information to
And to:-
Repeat to:-
953
Hong ong
Saving to:-
KARIBIKAH
Saving to...
PEKING
L
CONFIDENTIAL
➖ ➖➖➖ -- PLOJ
(date)
.. והויניזו.
HONG KONG
Your telegram No. 448: Gordon.
The family have still received no news from
Gordon.
a daer
Aberta
to obtain from the informant 2. Is it possible for you to cinek with
If the Pronch contact the approximate date on which he saw
Gordon family, and the degree of certainty of his
identification?
[3.
مرحبا
Hong Hons plocco zainte
check
errizala
from Ohing in case fordon family should leave vía
Hlon - Keng.]
Distribution:- Departmental F.0. F.E.D. Consular Dept.
News Dept.
C.O. H.K.D. Copies to:-
EXAMINED AT/248/23%
SKINATURE
183823456
Oeft!(.
Ring.
3.
י
F.E.
MR Rodgers.....
Reid 24/5
Dear Goronway
+
29
House of Commons,
Dept.
reply
London, S.W. 1
23rd Man Gr
I encou
RECEIVED IN
ARCI
24 MAY 1968
41