CO537-6046 — Page 58

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C. O.

Mr.

Mr......

Hall 17/10

Sidebotham,

919/10

Mr. Paskin.

Mr.

Mr..

DRAFT

J.F. NICOLL, ESQ., C.M.G.

GOVERNMENT HOUSE,

HONG KONG.

FURTHER ACTION

gkit wilia

2 DRAFTS.

54145/4/50.

48

Permt U.S. of S.

Parly. U.S. S.

Minister of State

Jee

50

Secretary of State

Your Reference..

(45)

For Mr. Sidebotham's signature.

With reference to my letter of the 10th

October, I thought you might like to know that we

have heard from the C.R.0. that the Government of

India are most interested in the proposed

constitutional changes in Hong Kong. They are, of

course, aware of the motion passed in your

Legislative Council on the 22nd June, 1949, and

probably also of the representations from the

(17)

Indian Community which was the subject of Grantham's

despatch No.37 Secret of the 22nd December, 1949.

The C.R.O. are informing the Government of

India, through the U.K. High Commissioner in New

Delhi, that the whole problem of constitutional reform

in Hong Kong is still under consideration but that the

interest of the Government of India in this matter

is not being overlooked and that further information

will be sent to them as soon as possible. The

intention being that when the correspondence on the

subject is published, copies will be made available

to them.

When Grantham first produced his revised

proposals there was a marginal note against the

Nominated members as follows (? at least 2 being

Chinese,? 1 Portuguese, ? 1 Indian). This aspect

was not, however, considered in detail here though

we did agree that "the inclusion of an Indian and a

Portuguese member in the four nominated unofficial

/members