alternative to the maintenance of the status
quo for the period pending the decision of
the Court. The Governor proposes only the
maintenance of the status quo, but we think
that there would be some advantage in
m.
putting the Garden of Remembrance as an
communication
thi
alternative to the Chinese. If they agreed
to this alternative and were prepared to
co-operate in seeing that the measures that
would have to be taken to clear the area
were not made the subject of agitation in
China, it might turn out to be a more
satisfactory procedure from our point of
view, particularly if the reference to the
International Court was likely to take some
time. The second point relates to the
doubts expressed in paragraph 4 of the
Governor's telegram about publicity at
this juncture. These doubts would not,
I think, apply to the inclusion in our next
communication to the Chinese of the
reference to publicity suggested above.
There might be some advantage in our
reminding the Chinese Government of the
likelihood of publicity at this stage, and,
indeed, it might be only to fair to do so.
4. As regards the assumption made in
paragraph 2 of the Governor's telegram,
we think that we can safely say that we
could successfully resist any attempt to
introduce consideration of the merits of
the lease of the New Territories in any
proceedings before the International Court.
Further that, insofar as the legal aspect
of the lease is concerned, any pronouncement
by
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