CO537-4801 — Page 79

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OUTWARD TELEGRAM

This document must be paraphrased if the communication of Its contents to any person outside Government Service is authorised.

FROM S. OF S., COLONIES

53927/49

Typez

TO HONG KONG (Sir A. Grantham)

Sent 2nd June 1949, 23.45 hrs.

PRIORITY

No. 673 Secret

:

In the course of recent Ministerial discussione I have frequently been questioned in regard te proposals for the introduction of a registration system for the civil population of Hong Kong. I should be very grateful, therefore, if you would furnish me as soon as possible with an up-to-date appreciation of the problem, and of your proposals for meeting 1t. I feel sure that you are aware that registration formed a valuable. security measure in dealing with Communist troubles in Malaya. I know the peculiar difficulties in Hong Kong, and that a system of registration in the New Territories villagea le already being proceeded with (your telegram to Deputy Commissioner-General Colonial Affairs, Singapore, repeated to me as his telegram. No. 151 rafers), but what I am particularly anxious to know la:--

(1)

how long it is expected that a complete registration would take;

(2)

what the estimated cost would be;

(3)

whether a complete registration can be carried out with the staff already at your disposal; and

(4) in general, what your programme is having

zegard to the shortness of time within which it is estimated that the danger to Hong Kong may bocomo immediate.

I know that a sub-committee was considering certain sapects of this matter but I assume that their deliberations will now have been completed.

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