#K
53838/48/39.
DRAFT ON 53838/45/39.
SECRET.
34 61
12 September, 1939.
From Straits. 17.8.30.
To ditto. 12.9.39.
From Hong Kong. 14.8.39. Tc ditto. 12.9.39.
Dear Pratt,
I enclose (1) a copy of letters which the
Se retary of State has exchanged with Sir Shenton Thomas,
Governor of the Straits Settlements, (2) a copy of
correspondence which I have had with Sir Geoffry
Northcote,Governor of Hong Kong.
The text of both
Governo s' letters may be said to be taken from the
effect on local Chinese opinion of the announcement of
the decision to hand over the four Tientsin men to the
public authorities for trial.
You may
I don't know whether you can suggest any
particular means of helping the Governors in the sort
of difficulty which they have in mind.
consider it to be useful to show this to R.H. Scott and
you will see that the Secretary of State in his reply
to Sir Shenton Thomas has made the point that the
establishment of the local and Far Eastern publicity
organisations, now actively in hand, should be of the
SIR JOHN PRATT,K.B.E.
greatest