CO537-1658 — Page 107

CHINA CAMPAIGN COMMITTEE

34, Victoria Street, London, S.W.1

Abbey 2882

26th. July 1946

PRESIDENT :

THE EARL OF LISTOWEL

CHAIRMAN:

MISS S. MARGERY FRY, J.P.

VICE-CHAIRMEN :

MR. VICTOR GOLLANCZ

MR. PERCY BARSTOW. M.P.

HON. SECRETARY:

MISS DOROTHY WOODMAN

HON. TREASURERS ;

DR. C. C. WANG

MR. EDGAR DUCHIN

ASST. SECRETARY :

MRS. GRACE SULLY

VICE-PRESIDENTS:

DR. H. G. ANDERSON

SIR NORMAN ANGELL

REV. A. D. BELDEN

THE BISHOP OF BRISTOL

PROFESSOR NORMAN BENTWICH

DR. E. H. EDWARDS

MISS ISABEL FRY

MRS, CHARLOTTE HALDANE

LADY DOROTHEA HOSIE

REV. E. R. HUGHES

MR. G. B. KAYE

DR. P. W. KUO

PROFESSOR HAROLD LASKI

LADY LAYTON

DR. SCOTT LIDGETT

MR. H. D. LIEM

DR. A. D. LINDSAY

DAME ADELAIDE LIVINGSTONE

MISS MEGAN LLOYD GEORGE, M.P.

LADY MARLEY

MR. KRISHNA MENON

MR. P. J. NOEL-BAKER, M.P. MR. D. N. PRITT, K.C.. M.P. DR. MAUDE ROYDEN

PROFESSOR R. H. TAWNEY MR. ARTHUR WALEY

Dear Miss Ruston,

I send you these extracts from letters I have received from Hong Kong this week, with some hesitation. I showed them to Mr Sloss last night and he urged me to do So. I have cut the last paragraph as ir Sloss thought you would not be interested in a forecast in relation to the civil war in China. I hope you will regard this information as confidential as you will appreciate that it would be unfair of me to cause any difficulty for my friends in Hong Kong because of their outspoken comments.

I am deeply concerned with the news because as you know, I am most anxious that Hong Kong should remain British for some indefinite period. With civil war in China, the need is even more urgent. I feel it is

absolutely essential that we should do all we can to win the loyal support of the local population, at the same time, putting down with a very firm hand, Kuomintang sabotage. If we don't act now, as my friends suggest, there will be more and more incidents in the future. We are liable to reach a stage, where we shall be driven out or where the Labour Government is not prepared to take action.

The Democratic League is a liberal-minded organisation in China, made up mainly of professional people and intellectuals. It is a centrist party, urging democracy. Its newspaper supports the Hong Kong Government.