their letter on the subject. You will see that they
have no comments on the proposals as such, but they do
consider it undesirable to take steps which are "virtually
certain to provoke a propaganda attack at a time when the Far
(62)
Eastern situation is particularly serious; and, moreover, to give
them" (the Central Peoples Government) "a handle on a matter
regarding which they have been noticeably silent in recent
months". You will remember that the Secretary of State
expressed somewhat similar fears when you discussed the
constitution issue with him on the 5th July last.
Needless to
say, we here are very conscious of the force of the argument
eferred to at the conclusion of para.3 of the Foreign Office
Ketti
letter, but since we discussed with you the situation
in Korea and the Far East generally has changed considerably
for the worse, and we should like to be sure that you still
feel that despite this we should go ahead with constitutional
reform, or whether you recommend that we should face the
various difficulties and disadvantages which further
postponement would no doubt involve.
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