Wt. 41936/587. 1/47. 50m. S. & S. Ltd.
Wt. 47799/614. 2/47. 30m, S. & S. Ltd.
54229/47
‹ C. O.
Mayle
Mr.
3/11/47
Robert Wray harseen XPermt. U.9: of S.
Mr. Seal
Mr..
Statal
Parly. U.S. S.
Secretary of State.
a
Your Reference...
3.6
DRAFT. DESPATCH
HONG KONG
NO
SECRET
GOVERNOR
to inlicitate
serious trouble
if
FURTHER ACTION.
(3)
Sir,
I have etc., to refer to your despatch ·
No.32 of 10th September, 1947, in which you
review the operation of the Protected Places
(Safety) Ordinance, Ordinance o.16 of 1946,
and recommend that this measure should be
retained for at least another six months.
2.
I note that the Ordinance has in
large measure achieved the object for which it
was enacted in that, with the sole exception
of the Engineer Stores Depot at Shamshuipo,
there has been a marked decrease in looting.
I also note, with satisfaction, the prudence.
with which the exceptional powers conferred by
the Ordinance have been used by all concerned,
and that no criticism of the Ordinance or of
the way in which it has been eployed has so
far been voiced.
3. I agree that, from these points of
view, there is no reason the Ordinance
should et remain on the Statute Book for a
further period of six months. At the same tie,
the measure still carries the risk, referred
to in paragraph 2 of my secret despatch No.245
of the 28th November, 1946, of bodily injury
members the curi
to the population at large.
There is also,
I imagine, some possibility of političal
capital
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