CO537-6564 — Page 56

(PR 121/1)

SECRET

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H453

Iracic to the

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418

Dear Jim's Ware,

Foreign office, S.W.1.

96038/1/15

31st July, 1950.

29

and (30)

I enclose a copy of a letter from Rayner about publicity material for Leslie Smith in Hong Kong.

2. The Foreign office Departments concerned all support Rayner's idea of the relative importance, as publicity targets, of the Chinese in Hong Kong and the overseas Chinese in South-East Asia, given the present situation and means at our disposal. Is that also the colonial office view?

3. Smith is, of course, situated in a better strategic position than others (which is not saying much) for infiltrating our ideas, and perhaps even our material, into China; and a certain small amount of useful work of this sort can no doubt be done from Hong Kong

But it is another question how far we can go without running the risk of embroiling the colony in something of a propa- ganda warfare.

•

4. We should like to know the Colonial office views on the suggestions in paragraphs 5 and 6 of Rayner's letter, that the Hong Kong Government might consider buying some part of the publications or arranging for reprinting in Hong Kong. This would enable Rayner to push more material into Hong Kong without overcharging the pro- portion of his budget which he can reasonably allocate to that post.

5. Meanwhile I am sending a copy of this letter to Rayner and am asking him to assure himself that Leslie Smith's proposals have the political agreement of the Hong Kong authorities.

Miss Jessica Ware,

Colonial office,

The Church House,

Great Smith Street,

S.W.1.

احية

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