AMENDED COPY. (Amendments underlined)
54581310,
し
32
3
C
Cypher Telegram
Fes My
FROM HONG KONG
FROM: Governor (Sir G. Northcote)
TO:
Secretary of State for the Colonies.
D. 10th June, 1941.
R. 10th
17
20.40 hrs.
No. 509 Confidential.
Your telegram No.528. Mrs. Black. I have forborne taking penal action in such cases for two reasons. Firstly use of suffragette method e.g. hunger strike or forcible resistance to arrest and deportation is not improbable. Such action would not only create public scandal and give handle for enemy propaganda but would probably also eventually prove unsuccessful with consequent loss of prestige to Government.
Secondly it is highly invidious to take action against relatively unimportant persons when wives of favoured citizens who defied the Government last year with impunity are still here.
If however you consider that more recent offenders should be prosecuted I will
do so.