CO537-5132 — Page 119

Ref: 31/3571/498

SECRET.

COPY

Government House,

Hong Kong.

20th June, 1949.

Dear Hone,

Thank you for your letter 1001/28/49 of 1st June, 1949, about the Regional Information Office and the proposed regional conference of Information Officers.

2.

Rayner has just been up for about a week, and we had useful discussions with him about our future information work, which we are anxious to start as soon as possible. I foresee a certain difficulty in enlarging our Public Relations Office here and giving it the task of engaging in specific anti-Communist publicity work. There is first the question of finance. The expense of this work will be considerable, and with our greatly increased defence commitments we are going to have some trouble in finding the money. If the work is to be done well, it will need quite a lot. Secondly, if the work is done entirely under the aegis of our P.R.O., I feel it might hamper him in his work somewhat by creating a certain suspicion in the minds of the Chinese press, who might be less inclined to talk freely if they feel his office is primarily a propaganda set-up.

3.

For the reasons given in my preceding paragraph our preliminary feeling is that the information work here should be done either by a separate information office, or by an information section connected with the P.R.O., but separate in its staffing, financing, and registry. Our purpose would best be served if this information section, ir I may so call it for convenience, came more or less directly under the Regional Information Officer in Singapore, since this would enable direct correspondence to be maintained, and there would generally be greater convenience and possibly efficiency in co-ordination. At the same time our Public

Relations Officer would keep in close touch and advise on questions of policy, and in particular he would be consulted on any action which might offend local Chinese or other susceptibilities.

4.

If the information section here was thus controlled by the Regional Information Officer, we would like the expense to be borne by the Foreign Office. We would perhaps make a contribution by supplying the premises. It seems to me that it is fair to ask if the Foreign Office could assume this expense since the main weight of our propaganda will be directed against China. It also occurs to me that it may be necessary to curtail greatly our information activities in

China itself when the Communists are in complete control and some of the information staff, and some of the expenses might therefore be diverted to Hong Kong where they could be put to better use.

5.

The above are merely our preliminary views, with which we have acquainted Rayner. I should be grateful if they could be discussed with him, and if you could let us have your views on the question of the financing and staffing

Sir Ralph Hone, K.B.E., M.C., T.D.,

SINGAPORE.