CO537-5116 — Page 9

Foreign Office.

Mr. Coates is away. I have

warned his junior that we shall shortly be

wanting to clear a reply to Hong Kong with them.

ستعمال

1.6.49.

4

In the last sub parapaph of paragraph

of preceding minute the word "society" should be replaced by

"local society".

No other comments.

M. de Comanned. 2/6

No comments.

Re Johnsen

2.6.49.

I agres.

19

N. 9

316

Mr. Paskin

I think in paragraph 2 of his minute of 1st June Mr. Wallace correctly draws attention to three points requiring consideration.

As regards (a), I am quite clear in my own mind that the Governor must have discretion in the present circumstances of Hong Kong to deal promptly and effectively with openly subversive articles printed by a pro-Communist Fress,

and I think that we should tell him that the Secretary of State gives him full discretion in this matter subject to what follows.

As to (b), I think we have got to be quite clear what the position of the China News Agency is, i.e. is it a local society which would be dealt with under the Societies Ordinance as is apparently contemplated in paragraph 3 of No.1, or is it an organ of the Press which should be dealt with under some Press legislation? I agree that further enquiry should be made of the Governor on the lines of "X" of paragraph 4 of Mr. Wallace's minute.

As regards (c), I agree with what Mr. Wallace suggests at "y" of paragraph 5 of his minute.

I send this on as the Secretary of State is much interested in this question of action against newspapers, and Mr. Rees-williams has already taken an interest in it (see my note on green slip dated 25th April above No. 2 on this file).

m

3.6.1949.