TNAG-0014-FCO40-50-Kowloon-disturbances-1967 — Page 76

En Clair

HONG KONG TO COMMONWEALTH OFFICE

Unnumbered

UNCLASSIFIED

PRESS.

(D.T.D.)

25 September 1967

HW 501

Hw

TAR COPY RECEIVED IN

ARCHIVES No.63 25 SEP1967

250745 Attention Glover.

Sitrep One.

9

There were no (repeat no) incidents last night following Governor's return. Earlier in the morning, two bombs, one genuine and one fake, were found outside Government House. The real one was detonated by Army Ammunition Expert.

Sir David [? word omitted] on his return that Britain has shown a great awareness of Hong Kong's problems and is anxious to help.

Problems now facing Hong Kong, Sir David said, will be discussed further when Lord Shepherd visits Colony later this year.

When asked whether he had brought back any new plans about labour reforms for Hong Kong, Sir David said londonis looking for qualified people to look into situation here and to assist the drafting of new labour legislation.

Governor was welcomed back by Government officials and local dignitories.

Two English newspapers both carried editorials of welcome for Sir David. South China Morning Post said "that no violence or demonstra- tions marred his return [?word omitted] was pleasing though the bomb found outside Government House yesterday suggests a few hotheads still want to prolong tension. Hong Kong is in better shape today than three months ago and local confidence has not sagged but strengthened. Overseas opinion, however, has suffered, in some cases from malicious exaggera- tions (particularly by some of our neighbours) and elsewhere from a failure of the world Press to tell its readers of the speedy resilience

We could of the Hong Kong-man-in-the-street to these adversities. well do with a concentrated advertising campaign in overseas newspapers and television to reassure businessmen, importers and tourists that Hong Kong, like Johnny Walker, is still going strong.

Hong Kong Tiger Standard said Sir David will find that relations between Government and the people have improved in his absence. This is a good thing, and he will have to guard against regression in this area of Government.

In the past officials have been to remote and often rude to the public. This is changing, and it is important that Sir David maintains the trend.

Anyone who thinks that Sir David has easy days ahead would be thinking badly. He will need to understand new and difficult problems as well as to be understood..

/Failure