CO537-6046 — Page 20

54145/4/50

SECRET

The Church House

Great Smith Street,

9. Wa 1.

1 DEC 1950

Dear Baris

Please refer to correspondence ending with Moberly's letter to Kirkness Nɔ. IF. 16/02 of the 23rd September 1949, about the proposed new Constitution for Hong Kong.

2.

You will remember that the 1949 proposals recomended the introduction of the elective principle and a substantial un- official majority in the Legislative Council. The elections were to be on a communal basis and the electors had to be British subjects. As you know the majority of the Hong Kong population consists of Chinese and although it was not possible to estimate how many of these would have the courage to claim British nationality, the Hong Kong Secretary for Chinese Affairs expressed the opinion that not more than 5,000 Chinese would come forward do 30.

On the other hand if it suited the polley of the Chinese People's Government at some future date they could probably persuade a very large number of Chinese to alaim Britishì nationality and thereby obtain an overwhelming majority of voters. The apparent narrowness of the franchise - if the estimates vere correct, 5,000 Chinese and 12,000 non-Chinese British subjects out of a population of 2,000,000 – and on the other hand the danger of carrying out major constitutional changes when the situation in China had changed so considerably, gave rise to serious doubts in our mind as to whether this was the right time to introduce such major constitutional changes.

3.

The problem was discussed with Sir Alexander Grantham while he was in this country on leave and he put forward certain alternative proposals based on a system of indirect elections.

R. L. MARRIS, ESQ.,

TREASUKI.

/There

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