CO537-1658 — Page 11

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previously told me. Mr. MacDougall also said that it is generally recognized that the Chinese "traitors' list" bears little relation to a genuine list of collaborators since places on it and off it are freely bought and sold and there had been several instances of Chinese guerillas and members of the East River Column finding their names on this so called traitors' list.

7. The second petition enclosed with 14 is signed by the Bishop of Hong Kong and leading managers and editors of British newspapers in Hong Kong and pleads for a firm denial of what is tantamount to a black- mailing attempt to exercise political control over the Chinese press of a British Colony.

8. If, as seems probable this is, in fact, the real basis of the demand for the surrender of Shum Wai Yau, and if the Governor-in-Council should decide not to surrender him, there may well be agitation in the Chinese press and it may well be used as a peg on which

partof 165 Gov. m to hang renewed demands for the return of Hong Kong.

cs of it. Cheer

For this reason the Foreign Office should perhaps be kept informed and ? a copy of the Governor's despatch and of our telegram at 13 and of our telegram to Hong Kong (draft of which is opposite) might be sent to them.

9.

We have already asked the Governor in 13 to defer a final decision until the Secretary of State has had an opportunity of considering the petitions, so the alternative action suggested by Sir Mark Young in the final paragraph of 14 is already answered. I suggested that we should now telegraph to him as in draft opposite.

10. I pass the file through Mr. North who may wish to comment from his knowledge of this case, also through Mr. Bates who should see in connection with allegations of collaboration and through Mr. Dale.

21.10.46.

I can

cam and little from personal

kuoshige to what I have written in 4

and that it was

were able

I have not

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I shoul

1944 1945 Than

Stanky to get copies of this paper.

48 сороко

seen the reports of Sheen's alleged

mit to Tapan

but I have

no doubt That

it would be easy to bould up a case agamat I him by quoting examples of pro-Japanace

propaganda.

me Tapanose would not have

allowed his to fublish on any other terms.

my impressions [ they

40

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hän

Impresumo at this stage) are:-_