CO537-2187 — Page 107

by the Foreign

Nrie

116.

Lord Salisbury has telephoned the Private Secretary that a Member of the House of Lords wants to put down a Motion calling for a statement as at X of the attached article from the "Sunday Times" of 13th July. The peer has asked Lord Salisbury's advice, and the latter propos- es to telephone this afternoon asking what he should say.

It is proposed to suggest that Lord Salisbury should explain

(a) that a despatch is to be published next

week which, while it will not deal with the particular point raised will indic- ate H.M.G.'s decisions as regards

constitutional development in Hong Kong as a British Colony;

(b) that we also hope before long to make a

statement about the development of the University of Hong Kong as a centre of British culture;

(c) these and other actions to be taken will, it is felt, provide the reassurance which the article in the "Sunday Times" suggests to be necessary, that the British position in Hong Kong will be On the other effectively sustained. hand, we are advised that a statement of the kind suggested would be regarded as unnecessarily provocative by the Chinese, and that the result would thus be to increase rather than lessen the present difficulties.

S

17th July, 1947.