I wonder whether
instrust someone to advise me what to
do
ступни
my
where to enquire
eleven, as
вона,
aged
or write, about Erie, his wife, and sou
they have been in Peking
for three years,
and I have not
had a letter from them for six mouths
I do not know what has g
and now
happened to them.
OL
They said that they would get cargol boat from Hong Kong in
November, 1967;
but
my
other s
sou,
went to the Foreign Office a few
and they
weeks
my
ago,
said that son, Eric and his family, did not cross the border into blong
kong the The Foreign Office also asked.
2.
Chinese Government about Eric and his family, but they did not-then-
receive
My
any reply. other son,
has also been to the
Chinese Embassy several times since March, and could not get any
satisfaction from them!
My
Som
Eric, said he would write
letter from Hong Kong before getting
the bost, and as
they have not written, something must have happened. They used to write
regularly every week. until the end of October, 1967. They were not
casual about letter writing, and knew I worried about them; so something
must b stop writing like that.
I
wrong
to make them
my
som Erie
am afraid that and his family must have been detained by the Chinese
Goverment reporter in England, and worked in a publishing office in
China His wife, Marie, taught English to
He was
امه
English.
pupils who already knew some
My Son and his wife did not speak Chinese, although they learned
•hilst living there. My Grandson learned the language there; very well,
I believe.
a little
son or his
.
I do not think that my family would do anything wrong or break any of
the Chinese regulations. They always asked permission for whatever they
wished to do. If they wished to visit another part of China during a
holiday, they asked permission, and if
permission was
attempt to
was refused, they did not
Eric did not criticiss yo China in letters, and we did not write
anything against Chine; so no ofault could have been found with letters
if anyone else read them.
I keep wondering about Eric and his of amily, and thinking that they
must have been detained by the Chinese,
as others have been?
Do
you
think that the Government could ask the Chinese
L
Government about family, again
I am sorry
?
son and his
шу
that this is suc
long letter, and for taking up your
time.
Thank-you very much indeed.
Yours Sincerely,
Sadie Gordon. (Mrs.)
[
+
D.="
F42
7.
A.
6/5
FOREIGN OFFICE, B.V.1.
6 May, 1968.
@
пригор
In Mr. Rodgers' abpence in Strasbourg, I am replying to your letter
I3076 of 25 Abril about Mr. Oray and Mr. Eric Gordon and his family.
You will know from Mr. Rodgers' letter of 29 April that Sir Donald
Hopson has now seen Kr. Grey. We are, of course, contiming our efforts
to secure his release. Now that there has been some development in the
case, we consider that continua- tion of efforts through the diplomatic
channel offers the best prospect of progress.
le share your concern about Mr. Eric Gordon and his family. We first
heard of their disappearance from Kr. Gordon's brother on 1 February.
Mr. Gordon himself has never been in touch with our Mission in Peking in
any way. His brother told us that relatives in England had received no
letters from the family, who were normally good correspondents, since
the end of Gotober.
Te made enquiries in Hong Kong, which confirmed that there was no record
of the family having passed through there and, on 3 February, our
Mission in Peking asked the Chinese authorities for information about
their whereabouts. Despite repeated reminders, no reply has yet been
received.
Other foreigners in the "Friendship_Hostel" where the family lived in
Peking, had not heard that the Gordons were in diffi- culties with the
authorities and had assumed that they had left China as they intended.
Their continuing silence, however, and the Chinese failure to provide
information both suggest that they have been detained. If Mr. Gordon did
indeed have notes and photographe for a book, this may in prezent
circumstances have aroused Chinese suspicions.
for information, though recent experience in other cases gåvan no ground
for expecting that we shall find anything out quickly.
The position of British subjects you have mentioned and of others also
detained in China are a cmise of constant conesra to us. I can assure
you that we are doing all we can to obtain information about, and
consular access to them. Indeed, as you know, Mr. Rodgers saw the
Chinese Chargé d'Affaires on 5 April to express our concern and
dissatisfaction. We still believe, however, that for the present our
best chance of success in
/t:.rough
I. J. Bradley, Esq.,
General Secretary,
National Union of Journalists,
Acorn House,
314/320 Gray's Inn Road,
London, .C.1.
through a general improvement in Anglo-Chinese relations. The visit to
Mr. Grey and the granting of an exit visa to the family of one of the
members of our Mission staff are both signs of some slight improvement;
and of course we shall do our utmost to follow this up.
(James Murray) Far Eastern Department
NOTHING TO BE WRITTEN IN THIS MARGIN
DEGREE TORRAA
Registry No.
F41/42
DRAFT
Letter
To:-
SECURITY CLASSIFICATION
Top Secret,
Secret.
Confidential
Restricted.
Unclassified.
PRIVACY MARKING
"In Cooldende
H. J. Bradley, Esq., General Secretary,
National Union of
Journalists,
Acorn House,
314/320 Grey's Inn Road,
London, W.0.1.
Type 1 +
@
From
Munay
Telephone No. & Ex.
Department
In Mr Rodgers
Thank you for your letter IJO/G of
chance in Strabony 25 April about Mr. Grey and Mr. Erde Gordon I am
reflying
后
and his family.
The Andpust of 24 Appl
Looms
Love will Lown from We are very pleased that Sir Donald Hopson
bee at lost been allowed to seekMr. Grey, and
relieved that in spite of a long period of-
virtual colitary confinement he ie in good
health and overdiag
We are, of cou
to bie ieoletien ee
of course, continuing our efforts to
his
secure a Greyle release. Now that there has
been some development in the case, we consider
that continuation of efforts through the
diplomatic channel offers the best prospect of
progress.
We share your concern about Mr. Eric
Gordon and his family. We first heard of their
disappearance from Mr. Gordon's brother on
1 February- Hr. Gordon himself has never been
in touch with our Mission in Peking in any way.
His brother told us that relatives in England
had received no lettere from the family, who were
normally good correspondente, since the end of
October.
We made enquiries in Hong Kong, which
confirmed that there was no record of the family
having passed through there and, on 3 February,
our Mission in Feking asked the Chinese
/authorities
authorities for information about their
whereabouts. Despite repeated reminders, no
reply has yet been received.
Other foreigners in the "Friendship
Hostel" where the family lived in Peking, had
not heard that the Gordons were in difficulties
with the authorities and had assumed that they
had left China as they intended. Their con-
tinuing silence, however, and the Chinese
failure to provide information both suggest
that they have been detained. If Mr. Gordon
did indeed have notes and photographs for a
book, this may in present circumstances have
aroused Chinese suspicions. We shall continue
to press for information, though recent experience
in other cases gives no ground for expecting
that we shall find anything out quickly.
The position of British subjects you have
mentioned and of others also detained in
China are a cause of constant concern to us.
I can assure you that we are doing all we can
to obtain information about, and, consular
as you kuni, Mi hashgan access to them. Indeed, saw the Chinese
4
Chargé d'Affaires on 5 April to express our
concern and digeatiefaction.
We
Ship believe,
however, that your beat chance of success is through a general
improvement in Anglo-Chinese
relations. The visit to Mr. Grey and the
granting of an exit visa to the family of one
of the members of our Mission staff are both
signs of some slight improvement;
our utmost to follow this up.
And I cans)
shall do A
They
NOTHING TO BE WRITTEN IN THIS MARGIN
Fell42 D.-Pria: 615
FOREIGN OFFICE, S.W.1.
6 May, 1968.
8
In Mr. Rodgers' abgence in Strasbourg, I am replying to your letter of
26 April about your brother, Mr. Brie Gordon, and his family who have
disappeared in China.
do first heard of the disappearanos of Mr. Eric Gordon on ↑ February
from your other brother, Mr. Jeffrey Gordon. Baving confirmed from Hong
Kong that there was no record of Mr. Eric Gordon and his family having
entered the Colony, the British Chargé d'Affaires in Teking asked the
Chinese authorities for information about the family's whereabouts on 3
February. Despite repeated reminders, the Chinese have so far failed to
give us any information.
7
Te shall contime our efforts to obtain information about him and his
family, but in spite of our recent muccess in obtaining access to Kr.
Anthony Grey, the Reuters corres- pondent, about which you may have read
in the press, I fear that - on the basis of our experience in other
caseS cannot hold out any great hope that information will be
forthcoming soon.
I
Miss Linda Gordon,
22 Westbourne Gardena,
Hove,
Sussex, B 3 SPF.
(James Murray) Far Eastern Department
NOTHING TO BE WRITTEN IN THIS MARGIN
GENIS KELAA
Registry No.
F21/42
SECURITY CLASSIFICATION
Top Secret.
Secret
Confidential,
Restricted,
Unclassified.
PRIVACY MARKING
In Confidence
DRAFT Letter
To:-
Miss Linda Gordon,
22 Westbourne Gardens,
Hove, Sussex
BN3 5PP.
Type 1 +
8
From
M. Roger Murray
Telephone No. & Ext.
Department
In Mr Rulgus
alssance in Strasburg,
I am
are refly my
+
Thank you for your letter of 26 April
about your brother, Kr. Eric Gordon, and his
family who have disappeared in China.
We first heard of the disappearance of
Mr. Eric Gordon on 1 February from your other
brother, Er. Jeffrey Gordon. Having confirmed
from Hong Kong that there was no record of
Mr. Eric Gordon and his family having entered
the Colony, the British Chargé d'Affaires in
Peking asked the Chinese authorities for
information about the family's whereabouts
on 3 February. Despite repeated reminders,
the Chinese have so far failed to give us any
information.
We shall continue our efforts to obtain
information about him and his family, but in
spite of our recent success in obtaining access
to Mr. Anthony Grey, the Reuters correspondent,
(I had hab thank
about which you will have read in the press,
on the basis of our experience in other cases
I cannot hold out any great hope that
information will be forthcoming soon.
dhe 6 Rang
1.5.
CONFIDENTIAL
RECEIVED IN
ARCHIVES No.31
Стра
Kr. Wilkinson
Mr. Samuel
8- MAY 1968
Flag A
Flag E
Flag C
6
ROBABLE DETENTION OF MR. ERIC GORDON
AND FAMILY
Kr. H. J. Bradley, the General Secretary of the National
Union of Journalists, and Miss Linda Gordon, Mr. Gordon's
sister, have both written asking for information about the
Gordon family. I attach, as requested, draft replies from
Mr. Rodgers.
BACKGROUND
The Gordon Family
2. Mr. Gordon, who reportedly worked for the Chinese Foreign
Languages Press and at some stage as a freelance journalist,
never had any contact with our Mission.
We first learned of
his disappearance and that of his family from an enquiry made
by his brother, Mr. Jeffrey Gordon, on 1 February. He informed
us that the family had been due to leave China early in
November, and no news had been received since October.
Sinoe
they were regular correspondents, their relatives in Britain
were concerned at so long a silence.
3. As a result of this enquiry we asked Peking and Hong Kong, through
which the family was to travel, to make investi- gations about their
whereabouts (telegram No. 121 to Peking). Hong Kong confirmed that they
had no trace of the family's having entered Hong Kong. On 3 February
Peking asked the Chinese authorities for assistance in discovering the
family's
/whereabouts
E
CONFIDENT IAL
CONFIDENTIAL
- 2 -
Flag
Flag E
ATT.
Flag F
Flag G
AFT (W7
whereabouts (Peking telegram No. 102). No reply was
received, but enquiries in the "Friendship Hostel", where the Gordon
family had lived while in Feking, indicated that,
although Mr. Gordon had been a political activist, other
"foreign friends" resident in the hostel had no knowledge
of his detention (Mr. Hunter's letter of 12 February to
Mr. Wilson).
4.
-
-
When no further news was received Peking do not
report the telephonic reminders which they make when the Chinese have
failed to reply to a formal Note we asked them on 12 March for any
available information and again on 25 March, after Mr. Jeffrey Gordon
had told us that he believed his brother to have been making notes in
preparation
for writing a book when he left China.
5. There has still been no reply to requests for information. The case
was raised by Mr. Rodgers when he summoned the Chinese Chargé
d'Affaires, ad interim, on 5 April. Mr. Jeffrey Gordon, with whom Far
Eastern Department are in close
touch, has confirmed that relatives in Britain have been
unable to obtain any information from the Office of the Chinese Chargé
d'Affaires in London, and have not been allowed to see the Chargé
d'Affaires. Lettera written to
senior officials of the Chinese Government remain unanswered.
6. The silence of the Chinese authorities, viewed together
with the sudden cessation of letters to relatives and the report from
Hong Kong that they have no trace of the Gordon
/family's
CONFIDENTIAL
1
CONFIDENTIAL
- 3-
family's having entered the Colony, makes it almost certain
that the family is detained in China. It must be remembered
that other "foreign friends" - Mrs. Epstein and Mr. Shapiro
are known to have been detained. It is unlikely that
Mr. Gordon would have been critical of the régime, but his
preparations for writing a book might tell against him. He
might also possibly have been involved with a Chinese in the
information or cultural field who has been disgraced.
There
7. We have now sent a further telegram to Peking asking
them to make another formal request for information.
is little likelihood that any reply will be received from the
Chinese. We can only hope that the slight improvement in
Anglo-Chinese relatione, illustrated by the agreement to a
visit to Mr. Grey and the issue of some entry visas for our
staff may lead to some progress.
Mr. Grey
8.
Mr. Bradley asks if there is anything the National Union
of Journalists could usefully do to help Mr. Grey.
We are
discussing with Peking and Hong Kong what further action can
be taken on Mr. Grey's behalf, and a submission will be
prepared. I think, however, that action should continue
through diplomatic channels. We should, therefore, discourage
Hr. Bradley from contemplating any initiatives by the National
Union of Journalists.
CONFIDENTIAL
Jauns Muray.
(James Murray) 1 May, 1968
Philkinson
May1.
2
+
"sent it the At u als to
Chassi clatter
свой в него
в
to qui
t
by greates off a
栉
Mutt
ays
chat to Gestuna? otter
Sordena?
?
LB 15.68.
I have already made this scommestation
A
Sermission at the lind
of last week.
We must
..
I
follows it of
Mr Rodgers' is back on
13 May
In his absence, The Roadgers' office have sent back
the letter for chefatch by the Iefortonen.
The Deser
么
Mr Shary
16 Mary
E
Вра
Fat$25 Estat.
سا
Toy Copy entered KO.
RESTRICTED
LIPHER/CAT A
t
IMMEDIATE FOREIGN OFFICE TO PEKING
TELNO 121 1 FEBRUARY, 1968
WITH (7)
10°
RECEIVED IN ARCHIVES No.31
21 FEB 53
F23/21
(KO/GORDON E)
RESTRICTED
ADDRESSED TO PEKING TELEGRAM NUMBER 121 OF 1 FEBRUARY REPEATED FOR
INFORMATION TO HONG KONG
P
BROTHER ANXIOUS ABOUT WHEREABOUTS OF ERIC GORDON, AGE 36, WHO WITH WIFE
MARIE AND SON KIM AGE 11, WERE DUE TO LEAVE PEKING FOR U.K. AT END OF
OCTOBER, GORDON HAD BEEN IN PEKING SINCE FEBRUARY 1965 ON CONTRACT TO
THE PEKING STATE PUBLISHING HOUSE. HE IS ALSO A FREELANCE JOURNALIST.
FAMILY WERE TO TRAVEL TO HONG KONG AND PLANNED TO SPEND TWO DAYS EACH AT
CANTON AND SHANGHAI. GORDON'S ADDRESS IN PEKING WAS FLAT 8642, P.0. BOX
300, PEKING. RELATIVES RECEIVES MAIL REGULARLY BUT HAVE HAD NO NEWS
SINCE 28 OCTOBER.
2.
PLEASE JNVESTIGATE AND REPORT.
·
SOSFA
FILES
CONSULAR DEPT.
FHC
:
I
109.
RESTRICTED
p.a.
Seemly
+
-
P
A
Top Copy entered Ko.
RECEIVED IN [ARCHIVES No.31
109
CONFIDENTIAL
21 FEB 1968
.Cypher/Cat.A
PEKING TO
FOREIGN OFFICE
F23/21
Telno. 102
3 February 1968
108
CONFIDENTIAL
Addressed to Foreign Office telegram No. 102
of 3 February.
Repeated for information to Hong Kong.