Horg Kore
1st October, 1949.
CONFIDENTIAL.
Dear Heathcote-Smith,
As you know, I have been in Shanghai since the
Communist take-over as correspondent for a British News-
paper group.
During that time I had opportunities of studying
Communist propaganda tactics and did so with much interest
having had a background of similar experience myself during
the war.
The Following are my general conclusions:
COMMUNIST PROPAGANDA IS GOOD AND POWERFUL.
The Chinese Communists have thoroughly mastered the
technique of mass propaganda. Their propaganda machine is
extremely powerful, and very good indeed.
It utilises every
form of approach, films, radio, public address systems, the
press and all forms of literature, school-books, posters,
speakers and teachers, etc. It has apparently limitless
resources.
I will not discuss details of methods, save for
saying that students and groups of employees are largely used
as covert agents, and that many of the appeals are directed
towards playing on Chinese national feeling.
ATTITUDE TOWARDS HONGKONG.
In Shanghai, the Communists make no secret of
their intention to 'liberate' Hong Kong.
Chinese friends
in close touch with them tell me that the present policy
is not to make any attempt to use military force. Hong Kong,
they say, will be left alone in that respect for two or
three years, during which time the populace will be given
the full effect of propaganda in favour of 'freedom' and
'liberation'.
After that, internal troubles will they