CO537-2188 — Page 151

Colonial office,

Downing Street,

S.W.1.

4th July, 1947.

54345/4/47

My dear Six Kark,

Constitutional changes in Hong Kong

We promised to let you have a copy of the Secretary of State's open despatch to Hong Kong in reply to your despatch No.145 of the 22nd October last, and I am accordingly sending you the enclosed copy of the Secretary of State's despatch to Hong Kong No.222 of the 3rd July, which will be leaving by to-day's air mail. We are also telegraphing to MacDougall explaining that it has been decided that your despatch No.145 shall not be altered or amended in any way prior to its publication along with the Secretary of State's reply. We are also asking him to let us know, on the receipt of the Secretary of State's despatch, when he proposes to arrange for the two despatches to be published in Hong Kong, so that we can arrange for copies to be placed in the Library of the House of Commons on the same day, and for a Parliamentary Question and Answer drawing attention to them, and also for copies to be made available to the Press.

Your sincerely,

2. Rayle.

Fod r. L.

SIR MARK YOUNG, G.C.M.G.