CO537-6049 — Page 2

Mr. Sidebotham

When Mr. Griffin was turned on to producing the first draft of the Reference to the Law Officers about the Chinese Aircraft at Hong Kong, he was given, as a model, the Reference about the Walled City. He afterwards told me that this Reference contained a very much fuller account both of the history and considerations involved than could possibly fepared in Hong Kong on the material now available there. accordingly asked if we could let Hong Kong have a copy of that Reference for their records.

I explained to him the rule against

He

sending References to the Law Officers out of the country but said that I would enquire whether it could be relaxed in this case, or alternatively whether we could let him have the document in some amended form which would disguise its actual nature.

I mentioned this to various people at the time but unfortunately overlooked it in the pressure of work which then developed.

As you know, a copy of the Reference to the Law Officers about

e aircraft has now been sent to him semi-officially, and this no doubt will have been sufficient for current purposes in connection with the aircraft dispute.

But if we can do it it would be preferable to send out the material in the Reference about the Walled City in a form which could be placed on record officially in Hong Kong. I have no doubt that this could be done with very little editing of the document itself and would I think be not only helpful in Hong Kong but might also be helpful to us in any further correspondence which we may have with Hong Kong about it.

J

P

Apr 50.