CO537-6046 — Page 95

J

to do would be to send an open despatch, which

could be published, and would reach the Colony about

the time of Grantham's return in October, not saying

yes or no to the proposals of last year, but

suggesting as from himself certain ways in which, in

his view, they might be modified with advantage.

Those suggestions would then pave the way for Grantham

to submit formally, after discussion with the

Unofficials in Hong Kong, his new proposals which

the Secretary of State would then be prepared to

accept.

F

4. Grantham was anxious, however, that you should

have an opportunity of seeing this despatch in draft

for wom promig in case you had any further suggestions to make and

I enclose a copy herewith. Its wording has been

very carefully considered from the point of view of

susceptibilities at this end in Parliament and

elsewhere, and also from the point of view of possible

repercussions in Singapore when it is published, since,

as you know, there has been great insistence there lament

vokzalea lī

that electores themselves must be British subjects

which would not be the case in Hong Kong under

Grantham's latest proposals.

The wording of the

despatch has therefore been very carefully framed to

keep this point as far as possible in the background.

We here, of course, appreciate that the position in

Hong Kong is quite different to that in Singapore,

but we wish to avoid as far as possible making any

in

Colony,

difficulty at that end of the picture. You will see

draft

from the despatch that one of the principal alterations

which we have suggested in the proposals is the

reintroduction of the elective system for the Urban

District Council and the extension of that system

in regard to membership of that Council, as well as

the desirability of the Urban Council being one of

/the

X 7 No 37

it for public consumption

Copy of draft despatch

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