(11) This Government decided some months ago that on the whole, his paper performed useful service and that prosecution of him or prevention of him from continuing publication, or handing him over to his enemies in China, unless a proper case could be made out for his surrender on grounds of offences committed in, China,

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(111) Urgent submission by Kuomintang, which aims at controlling his paper with kidnapping and with publication of his name in a "traitors" list" published by Canton Headquarters,

(iv) Last named threat has been carried out and it is on the strength of inclusion of his name in this list that "The National Times" states that Canton Headquarters has ordered his arrest and incites the Hong Kong public to take action against him,

(v) No application has been made as yet by the Canton authorities for his arrest and surrender under Chinese Collaborators (Surrender) Ordinance No. 7 of 1946.

(vi) No such application could succeed unless it were shown that he had committed some offence in China, which is unlikely, "The National Times" specifically refers to his conduct in Hong Kong,

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G

General effect of "The National Times" articles is to mislead the public as to rights of inhabitants to protection against removal from the Colony except by process of law and to lead them to ignore the fact of British sovereignty in this Colony and to take the law into their own hands, My Executive Council considered this, in the present circumstances, a very serious danger unless prompt action were takene It was noted that articles by the same paper had led to warning being given to the press generally some months ago and to statement that, if necessary, powers of the Government to suppress would be used, considered therefore, that there had been adequate (?group omitted) and unanimously advised that "The National Times" should be suppressed for one month. I fully concurred, The result in Hong Kong has been most satisfactory, sending by air mail translation of the article and copy of the Attorney-General's opinion,

Council

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