TNAG-0016-FCO40-52-Kowloon-disturbances-1968 — Page 112

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PROMINENCE. TO MAO'S THOUGHTS AND ITEMS OF INTEREST TO THE MIDDLE mid

LOWER CLASSES RATHER THAN TO CONFRONTATION IN AN EFFORT TO INCREASE

→ CIRCULATION. ONE LEADING PAPER HAS STARTED AN ECONOMY DRIVE SINCE

THE C.P.G. HAS REFUSED TO PAY MORE THAN HALF OF ITS DEFICIT OF

DOLLARS 300,000 OVER THE LAST FEW MONTHS.

3. SEVERAL LEADING COMMUNIST FILM PERSONALITIES, VISITING CANTON

BETWEEN 15 AND 18 DECEMBER, ATTENDED A MEETING PRESIDED OVER BY THE

VICE CHAIRMAN OF THE KWANGTUNG PROVINCIAL COMMITTEE AND WERE TOLD

THAT THE STRUGGLE HERE SHOULD CONTINUE BY POLITICAL MEANS. ON THEIR

RETURN, THEY WERE TOLD BY A LOCAL NONA OFFICIAL THAT THE USE OF

VIOLENCE WAS INCORRECT AND HAD RESULTED IN MISTAKES, AND WERE .

INSTRUCTED TO USE THEIR CULTURAL INFLUENCE TO PROPAGATE MAO'S

THOUGHTS WITH THE AIM OF INDOCTRINATING THE HONG KONG PUBLIC.

THIS INSTRUCTION HAS BEEN CIRCULATED WITHIN FILM CIRCLES WHERE THE

SUDDEN CHANGE OF POLICY HAS CAUSED CONSIDERABLE CONFUSION.

4.

THERE ARE NOW CLEAR INDICATIONS THAT PEKING HAS ORDERED

A MAJOR POLICY CHANGE. INTENSIFIED INDOCTRINATION AND UNITED

FRONT ACTIVITIES AIMED AT WINNING OVER A BROADER SECTION OF

THE PUBLIC CAN BE EXPECTED. THE BEWILDERMENT REPORTED IN FILM

CIRCLES IS LIKELY TO BE REFLECTED ELSEWHERE, BUT THE MAJORITY

OF COMMUNISTS IS EXPECTED TO ACCEPT THE NEW LINE ALTHOUGH SOME

MILITANTS MAY IGNORE IT. ISOLATED CASES OF VIOLENCE MAY, THEREFORE,

RECUR FOR SOME TIME. ANTI-GOVERNMENT PROPAGANDA WILL PROBABLY

REMAIN AT A HIGH PITCH DESPITE THE CHANGE IN POLICY BY THE NEWS-

PAPERS. THESE MAY FIND IT DIFFICULT TO WIN BACK THE READERSHIP

THEY HAVE LOST BECAUSE OF THEIR VIRULENT AND PATENTLY FALSE

PROPAGANDA IN RECENT MONTHS.

FO PLEASE PASS IMMEDIATE PEKING AS MY TELNO 678. Repeated as requested)

File W H10

30 JIRO

FEMD

E FED

OLA OPA

Sir D. Tisch.

GOVERNOR

TOPY 14

1

Валя Full

SENT 27/053 42

Зарл

0630

RECD 27/65472

repeated to buttinet Office

Carance

Сорел