CO537-5132 — Page 92

(Copy)

31/3571/49.

20 OCT 1949.

CONFIDENTIAL.

54389/3)33

8th October, 1949.

Regional Information Office Representative

in Hong Kong.

(Dear John),

I attach a copy of a letter sent to me by Leslie C. Smith, Kemsley Press correspondent in China, who recently came out of Shanghai by the "General Gordon".

The letter contains some useful ideas, though others, such as a sponsored radio station in Macao, would seem ruled out on financial grounds.

2.

3.

Leslie Smith has been offered a job in our Public Relation Officer's Office, but I think is unlikely to accept as he believes he can make more money as a freelance than as a Government servant. He might however be suitable for your purposes, as he has a lot of experience and a fuir amount of initiative. During the late War he was in Kweilin

in charge of the Press Attache's Office there, but he did not get on too well with Stanley Smith, the M.0.1. Representa- tive in China. He is not first-class on the administrative side, but he is full of energy and has a very wide and use- ful range of contacts with Chinese.

We should be glad to know here how the matter of and R.I.0. Representative in Hong Kong is progressing, and whether early establishment of an office can be expected.

4.

Yours ever,

(C.B.B. Heathcote-Smith).

J. Rayner, Esq.,

Office of the Commissioner-General

for S.E.A.,

Phoenix Park,

SINGAPORE.

c.c. Secretary of State.