-12-
from London or from R.1.0.
56.
Mr. Parsons (Jesselton) was satisfied that his present small requirements were being fulfilled, and that further expansion could be met.
57..
All the material received by Mr. Ratcliffe (Kuching) through R.1.0. had been helpful and adequate, and had been placed. Mr. Gilbert (Sarawak) drew attention to the large concentration of Chinese labour in the oilfields - probably the most important British defence area in South-East Asia. Mr. Murray undertook to supply a paper on the Communist penetration of labour in other areas for study by the Sarawak Government. The Government of Sarawak were prepared to spend money on propaganda in this area, and consequently R.1.0. could expect further demands.
58.
Mr. Carleton Greene (Federation of Malaye) said that for his primary target, inducing surrender by the bandits, he did not require assistance from R.I.O., but that he expected to make demands on R.1.0. in the near future in connection with other aspects of his work, particularly for broadcasting and schools. Positive propaganda which R.I.0. could provide was welcomed. Che Ya'acob found R.1.0. useful as a co-ordinator and as a provider of ammunition on specific subjects such as Communism and Islam.
He
59.
Mr. Thomson felt that the Information Services situation in Singapore was untidy. had, perhaps wrongly, looked on the function of R.I.0. as similar to that fulfilled in, for example, West Africa, but he was perhaps not in a position to comment as he was not fully conversant with the terms of reference of the R.1.0. or its activities. Mr. F.R.H. Murray again stressed that the Regional Information Office was set up jointly by the Colonial Office and the Foreign Office with agreement of the Governors concerned and recommended as an organisation to which application could be made for assistance. If, therefore, the R.I.O. were of no assistance to Mr. Thomson, and was not being used, for example, to supply a want expressed by Mr. Thomson for material on projection of Britain, this was an important matter which should perhaps be discussed with the Governor.
60.
Mr. J.L. Murray said that Hong Kong should be regarded as a special case. As a result of the political implications, it had been decided that Mr. Leslie Smith (R.1.0. represon- tative Hong Kong) should not undertake anti- Communist propaganda, and should instead concen- trate on the collection from all possible sources of factual material on China.
61.
Mr. Pakenham described the type of material he hoped to be able to use in Indonesia, and Mr. Rayner said that R.I.0. would be able to meet his requirements.
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