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OUTWARD TELEGRAM
This document must be paraphrased if the communication of Its contents to any person outside Government Service is authorised.
FROM S. OF S., COLONIES
53927/49
Typez
TO HONG KONG (Sir A. Grantham)
Sent 2nd June 1949, 23.45 hrs.
PRIORITY
No. 673 Secret
:
In the course of recent Ministerial discussione I have frequently been questioned in regard te proposals for the introduction of a registration system for the civil population of Hong Kong. I should be very grateful, therefore, if you would furnish me as soon as possible with an up-to-date appreciation of the problem, and of your proposals for meeting 1t. I feel sure that you are aware that registration formed a valuable. security measure in dealing with Communist troubles in Malaya. I know the peculiar difficulties in Hong Kong, and that a system of registration in the New Territories villagea le already being proceeded with (your telegram to Deputy Commissioner-General Colonial Affairs, Singapore, repeated to me as his telegram. No. 151 rafers), but what I am particularly anxious to know la:--
(1)
how long it is expected that a complete registration would take;
(2)
what the estimated cost would be;
(3)
whether a complete registration can be carried out with the staff already at your disposal; and
(4) in general, what your programme is having
zegard to the shortness of time within which it is estimated that the danger to Hong Kong may bocomo immediate.
I know that a sub-committee was considering certain sapects of this matter but I assume that their deliberations will now have been completed.
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