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136

INWARD TELEGRAM

TO THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE COLONIES

COTY FOR REGISTRATION

AMENDED COPY (corrections x)

Cypher(0.T.P.)

MOST IMMEDIATE.

No. 173 Secret.

FROM HONG KONG (Sir A. Grantham)

D. 12th February, 1948, R. 12th

#t

11.40 hrs.

Addressed to 8. of S.

Repeated to British Ambassador Nanking, (No.48).

Your telegram No. 208.

136A

127

Nanking telegram No. 149 to the Foreign Office.

Kowloon City.

I do not (repeat not) like the suggestion in paragraph 2 of Ambassador's telegram No.14 to the Foreign Office. If it is not (repeat not) possible to recurs

E

agreement of the Chinese Government to proposal in Foreign office telegram to Ambassador No. 115 (which I regard as doubtful), then I support the proposal in paragraph 7 of Ambassador's telegram for a Joint Committee custodian. Committee should operate * through the Hong Kong Govern... ment for maintenance of law and order and sanitation of the Garden. Otherwise, control of the Garden should be jointly and not (repeat not) severally. Thie would prevent meetings being held without the approval of the British representative. Otherwise there la danger that political meetings of undesirable character might be held in the Garden, The Garden should be financed by the two Governments,

2. As regards release of the two men, I suggest that the Chinese Minister be informed that, if agreement on the Garden proposal is secured, I would as act of grace remit balance of sentence on the date of publication of the joint statement. Provided that their conduct in prison continues good, they are in any esse due for release on the 16th March.

3. So far as Hong Kong is concerned, any solution will atand or fall by terms of the joint statement by which it 18 announced, It will be scanned by local Chinese only with a view to ascertaining whether China has publicly drawn back from the sovereignty issue. To the population of this Colony, all else will be immaterial. I presume I shall have the

opportunity of seeing draft statement before it la finalised,

补。 I trust it will be borne in mind that even 12

agrement lo reached, there will remain the problem of physical

removal of squatters still on the spot. It would be well to

ensure that the Chinese Government bave the means at their command to deal with this difficulty,

5. I had thought of euggesting an inter-allied Committee of Control, but that would let in the U.S.S.R. which is clearly undesirable.

# Correction received 13th February.

opy sent to:- Foreign Office

Mr. A.L. Scott.