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language China Digest. Communist violence of language reached a new intensity in the attacks on the North Atlantic Pact, on which they have turned all their guns in common with Communist publicity organs throughout the world. The main theme has been that the Pact violates the United Nations Charter, and is a cloak for U.S. Imperialism aiming at world domination. The middle-of-the-road Chinese press took an unenthusiastic line about the Pact, seeing in it increased possibility of a direct clash between East and West. All the pro-Communist papers gave great promin- ence to the New China News Agency editorial broadcast from North China attacking the Pact entitled "Peace Forces of the World Mobilise; Smash the Sinister Plots of the War Mongers". Considerable propaganda is also being devoted to the forth- coming Communist-organised World Congress for Peace in Paris, the Chinese delegation to which is headed by the wellknown Chinese Leftist writer Professor KUO Mo-jo, who spent two years tn Hong Kong before going up to Communist China a few months ago, A campaig: to collect 10,000 signatures in support of this Congress has been organised by the Hwa Shiang Pao, Won Wei Pac and Ta Kung Pao.

5,

mThere has been surprisingly little public reaction to the closing of the Tat Tak College, which was reported in paragraph 3 of the last Political Summary. It is believed that a number of the pupils have entered other schools in the Colony where Communist influence is strong. It is possible that the nucleus of the Tat Tak College has moved over into "liberated areas" in the East River region in Kwangtung, since early in March it was reported in the Communist press that an "est River College" had been established near the Kwangtung-Kiangsi Border. The North China broadcast referred to in paragraph 2 above shows that the closing of the College has in fact considerably irri- tated the Commurists, and it suggests that they attached considerable, importance to it.

6.

As the Chinese Communists' efforts to bring about disintegration of the Nationalist Government by all possible means increase, conditions in China across the Hong Kong border have become even more unsettled. During March a number of incidents were reported and Nationalist military

The Chinese Maritime posts were frequently attacked. Customs have also had a bad time. They recently opened three new Customs' ports which have been built as virtual forts. The magistrate of Fu On district, which is contig- uous to the New Territories, was actually kidnapped a few weeks ago.

On the Mirs bay side of the frontier "Communist- bandit" control is almost complete and it has been necessary

the to suspend the fery service which runs across the bay, ferry owner being unwilling to continue since his boat was frequently fired upon. Smuggling remains as active as e ver, and is probably a valuable source of revenue to the Commun- ists in the East River Area, On the Pearl River between Hong Kong and Canton bandits are becoming bolder, and the river shipping companies have received numerous demands for "protection fees" with the threat that their vessels will One 1200-ton British- be blown up if they do not comply. flag river steamer, the "Miss Orient", was blown up by a mine probably detonated from the shore in the Elliot Passage of the Fear River on the right of March 24th with considerable loss of life, as a result of non-compliance with such demanës,

7.

Towards the end of the month the three Servicer conducted joint manoeuvres under the name "Operation Lancer", to rehearse measures which would be taken in the