CO537-6564 — Page 32

96012/46

NO.

To:-

(1) Singapore

23

SECRET

(2)

Sarawak

Mi

t

(3)

North Borneo No

Hong Kong

NO

58

Sir,

COLONIAL OFFICE,

The Church House,

Great Smith Street,

London, S.W.1.

October, 1950.

Anti-Communist Propaganda in the Far East

I have the honour to refer to my Secret Despatch No. 1 of 2nd January 1950 with which was enclosed a memorandum prepared in the Foreign Office, on Anti-Communist propaganda in the Far East.

2. I now enclose, for your information, a revision of that memorandum de signed to take into account the principal changes which have taken place in the situation since the memorandum was first drawn up. This revision also takes particular note of the desirability of making use, for propaganda purposes, of facts about conditions in China under the Communist regime, and of the most effective methods for carrying out this line of propaganda.

It

3. This memorandum,like its predecessor, is concerned only with the specific issues of Anti-Communist publicity in the narrow sense. does not attempt to deal with the related field of positive publicity, aimed at convincing the people of the Colonies that constructive measures are being planned and carried out for their benefit, and without which purely minatory propaganda would have little or no effect.

4.

You should know that the Foreign Office is communicating the revised memorandum to the United States State Department and to representatives of United States Information Services in South East Asia. Foreign Office representatives have been asked to draw the attention of United States officials to certain aspects of our publicity technique for South East Asia which differ from theirs, and the reasons for our conclusions on these matters. For instance, the desirability of using local channels wherever possible and of keeping the hand of the white man well hidden (see paragraph 7 of the main memorandum), and the importance of avoiding the dissemination of obviously false information, and of eschewing Kuomintang propaganda (see paragraph 9 of the Annex on Malaya). It is considered that only if a high standard of veracity is maintained will British and American publicity be acceptable to Asian audiences, and that it is necessary to avoid repeating Kuomintang propaganda if those important circles are to be influenced which are known to distrust it.

5. This despatch is being addressed to the Governor of Singapore, the High Commissioner of the Federation of Malaya, and the Governors of Hong Kong, North Borneo, and Sarawak, A copy is being sent to the

Commissioner General.

I have the honour to be,

Sir,

Your most obedient

humble servant,

THE OFFICER ADMINISTERING

THE GOVERNMENT OF