CO537-2188 — Page 216

COPY

Dear Mayle,

DROVE HOTEL, SINGLETON,

CHICHESTER.

20th June, 1947.

77

Thank you for your letter 54145/4/47 of 18th June regarding the Hong Kong Constitution.

2.

I agree that para.3(a) of the draft is an improvement but I still don't like it. The words "for the present" in line 1, as well as the last sentence, indicate that the 50/50 division of seats, between Chinese and non-Chinese, is going to be altered, and the only likely alteration is a proportionate increase in the number of Chinese seats with a corresponding decrease in the number of non-Chinese seats. And once you get away from the arbitrary 50/50 division, for which there are precedents in other Colonies, how can you stop short of a division based more or less on populations? And having gone thus far, or even as far as a majority for the Chinese (most of whom will not be British subjects), have you not taken the first important step at any rate it will be so regarded towards a British withdrawal from Hong Kong?

3.

-

In short I consider that the para. may do a great deal of harm. A general para. somewhere at the end of the despatch, saying that in the light of experience it may be necessary to alter the constitution, powers, functions etc., of the Municipality would not be open to the objections I have raised, whilst at the same time it would be adequate for the purpose.

Yours ever,

(Sgd.) A.. GRANTHAM.