Colonial office,
Downing Street,
S.W.1.
6th June, 1947.
57B
54145/4/47
CONFIDENTIAL
BY HAND
Dear Kitson,
Constitutional changes in Hong Kong
Please refer to the correspondence resting with your letter No.F 5527/376/10 of the 28th April.
You have had a copy of our secret savingram to Hong Kong No.32 of the 29th April and also copies of Sir Mark Young's secret telegram No.817 of the 13th May in reply, and of our further telegram to the Acting Governor of Hong Kong No.875 of the 1st June, in which we put to him a proposal for widening the present franchise qualifications.
As I think you know, the intention is that Sir Mark Young's despatch No.145, containing his recommendations for the establishment of a Municipal Council and a revision of the constitution of the Legislative Council, should be published in Hong Kong, together with my Secretary of State's official despatch in reply, as soon as the latter has been sent. We have, as you know, made a very close and detailed examination of Sir Mark Young's recommendations, and this has inevitably taken some considerable time. We feel, however, that we have now reached the stage when it is possible to prepare the draft of an official despatch in reply, and I am enclosing for your consideration the draft of such a despatch,
G.V. KITSON, ESQ., C. B. E.
which