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FOREIGN OFFICE, S.W.1.
12th November, 1949.
I tried unsuccessfully to reach you by telephone this morning to discuss your letter M.0.2/DO/627 of November 9th enclosing a draft of General Ritchie's lecture to the Royal Central Asian Society.
We have looked at it here with the Far Eastern Department and I am afraid that we are not at all happy about a number of passages. It is difficult to suggest amendments here and there but what we feel is that as so many of the topics referred to are not only controversial but have somewhat delicate political implicarions, it is very desirable that the political passages should all be toned down in a more anodyne form. It is true that General Ritchie points out that he is speaking personally throughout but in fact such views, however personally stated, at a public meeting would inevitably be associated with
official views and of course subsequent press references both here and overseas would merely pick on a few excerpts taken out of their contexts.
I suggest therefore that General Ritchie might be asked to reword all the political references in a very anodyne form or indeed to omit them. regards the propriety of a Service officer delivering
As
Lieut-Colonel A.M. Field, M.C.,
M.0.2,
War Office.
/a