recommendation that the number of seats on the Council should be divided equally between the Chinese and non-Chinese communities. This arrangement will, of course, be subject to review from time to time in the light of experience though it will always be necessary to take account of, and give full weight to, the responsibilities of the British Administration towards the population (predominantly Chinese) which has chosen to settle in the Colony."
11.6.47.
I recovered the papers for consideration of this. Sir A. Grantham's letter reinforces the warning in paragraph 1 of 49. But it seems to me that the point could be met by simply omitting the mention of "changing conditions" in paragraph 3(a) of draft X, i.e. as in the bracketed part of Mr. Mayle's suggestion above, and that we need not enlarge in this context on the responsibilities of the British administration.
I have attached to draft X an alternative version of paragraph 3(a) on these lines. I have left in the words "for the present" which first appear in manuscript in the original draft X (flagged A). There is a suggestion of tautology in these words as we are also saying that the arrangement is subject to review.
If these suggestions relating to draft X are agreed, paragraph 1 of draft B will need amendment i.e. the deletion of "and changing conditions".
бр
11th June, 1947.
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