Secretariat File: 9/3571/48s.
SAVINGRAM.
To: Secretary of State for the
Colonies.
From: Governor, Hong Kong.
Date: 11
March, 1949.
No.
48.
SECRET.
54900/1/49
7
(R) British Embassy, NANKING
(No. 2Y.) Consulate-General,
SHANGHAI (NO. 17 ) Comm.-General S.E.A.
(No.
29 ay
3
British Embassy, BANGKOK
(No. 31 )
Consulate-General, CANTON
(No. 12)
High Commissioner, KUALA
LUMPUR (No.
321
British Legation, MANILA
(No. 33)
G.0.C., Hong Kong
Copy to D.S.0. (separately)
Hong Kong Political Summary No.10 for February, 1949.
The
While the confused lull in the Communist-K.M.T. conflict continued, Hong Kong had a quiet month politically. Left-wing pro-Communist press continued to sow doubts about Acting President LI Tsung-jen's sincerity for peace and accused the United States of secretly encouraging resistance among the K.M.T. In this atmosphere of rumour and counter-rumour the average Chinese strove to remain optimistic about the chances for an early peace. Towards the end of the month, when LI Tsung-jen's peace delegates were finally received in North Chine by MAO Tse- tung optimism visibly revived.
2.
A curious incident was the arrival in Hong Kong on 22nd February of Professor WU Yau-hao and Professor WU Che-sheng, of the unofficial Nanking People's Peace Delegation which flew to Peking early in February. They had then proceeded to Canton and reported to Dr. SUN Fo, the Premier. Their visit to Hong Kong was stated to be for the purpose of contacting Communist represer- tatives here, but their movements were closely watched, and it is not believed that they saw any important Communists. They finally returned to Canton on February 26th, and it is learnt from a reliable source that before their departure they sent a telegram to Dr. Sun Fo stating that they had met members of the Chinese Communist South China Political Bureau and Military Headquarters and that their meetings had produced excellent results. It seems in fact unlikely that they saw anybody, and their claims of successful talks may have been a smoke screen to conceal their lack of success. A leading Chinese Communist in Hong Kong stated emphatically before they arrived that there was no Chinese Communist representative in Hong Kong with authority to discuss anything with them and he denounced the visit as a K.M.T. plot. The local Chinese press treated the "Delegation" with scepticism and scorn.
3.
Local Chinese Communists have remained fairly quiet. during the month. They are clearly afraid that the official attitude of this Government towards them will not remain as lenient as before. Their anxiety grew when they learned on 23rd February that the Tat Tak College, a notorious centre of Communist teachings in the Colony was to be struck from the register. This College was established in Hong Kong in a house belonging to General Tsai Ting-kai about three years ago and its members had gradually increased until recently they numbered over 600 pupils, all in their late teens or early twenties.
small percentage of the pupils came from China, the majority
a
Only