CO537-2187 — Page 38

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130. Stong Kong Rang

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131-Extract from New York Hesald Tribune

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133 To A.L. Scon Esq. (fo.)

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13ht Foreign Office 135 To A.L. Scott Sts (F.0.)

Mr. Seel

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Oct 1947

7.10.47

18.10-47

24.10.47.

Jut· 10-47

25.ro.

10.47 28.10.47.

You may be interested to see my letter to Mr. MacDougall (126) and Mr. Megarry's reply (130). I have passed on to the Foreign Office (135) the views in Mr. Megarry's letter about consultation with the Portuguese about Hong Kong and Macao.

The passages about Hong Kong in the Press extract (131) from Mr. Byrnes' book, are also interesting, particularly the observation attributed to Mr. Stalin, to the effect that if China demanded the return of Hong Kong she would not be alone. I imagine that, in present circum- stances, this is not a factor which would deter the Foreign Office from agreeing to the issue of a declaration that we intend to hold Hong Kong, if they saw no other objection.

After speaking with you, I wrote to

Sir Alexander Grantham privately, saying how glad we were that he had issued the statement referred to in his telegram at No.132 so promptly, and explaining the difficulty we had encountered in our attempt to issue a similar statement here. I rang up Mr. Scott this afternoon about No.134 and asked whether he would still see objection to our making a statement to the Press here, in view of the denial which has been issued by the Ambassador in Nanking. Mr. Scott still felt that they would have to get Ministerial cover for such a statement, which was a rather different matter from replying to an enquiry by the Press. In these circumstances and in view of the time which has already elapsed, there is no point in pursuing this matter, but Information Department should see so that if they do get any Press enquiries, they can take the same line as the Ambassador in Nanking has taken, namely: that there is no foundation whatever for the report that high level talks are taking place on the issue of Hong Kong.

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