TNAG-0012-FCO40-48-Kowloon-disturbances-1967 — Page 89

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SIR DAVID TRENCH: I think it is almost a

matter of habit. They have made the same demands on the

Burmese. It seems to be almost a conditioned reflex

when they dislike somebody to make demands in the

same terms. They used the same language to the Burmese

and Mongolians

"Fascists" and all the rest of it.

QUESTION: If the water were withheld with th

object of creating a shortage, do you think it would

cause more trouble for the mainland Chinese by making

them unpopular, or for the government of Hong Kong

because people would say you have failed fo supply it?

SIR DAVID TRENCH: We can keep them going in

Hong Kong very nicely. We have had four hours every

second day and they know how to deal with it. So long

as the government see it is properly organised, properly

distributed, fairly spread out, they accept this kind

of thing with remarkable stoicism.