0003230
171
G.F. 323
CONFIDENTIAL
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the $816.67 which cannot be collected. As long as the receiver is
not recovered, the I.S.D. have to pay the Telephone Co. the full rental
as D.I.S. has been advised by Crown Counsel, Mr. M.F. Winter, that it
is his qualified opinion that Government is responsible for both payment
and equipment.
WEN WEI PAO
J
7. On 28.10.67, the I.S.D. sent the wen Wei Pao a demand note for $725
being teleprinter rental for the quarter ending 15.1.68. The Wen Wei
Pao refused to settle this account on the ground that the I.S.D. had
not been providing them with a full service. D.I.S. sent the newspaper
a letter on 28.11.67 (annex A) pointing out that the rental was still
outstanding, that the G.I.S. news service is free and that the I.S.D.
only acts as a rent-collecting agency for the Hong Kong Telephone Co.
Ltd., the owners of the teleprinter receiver. In reply to this letter,
the wen Wei Fao accused the I.S.D. of "breaching the contract, withholding
news and vainly trying to create trouble" for them. The rental is still
outstanding. See letter attached at annex B.
8.
The I.S.D. has not provided a full service to the Communist news-
papers since the outbreak of the disturbances in May as they were
misusing government information for violent propaganda purposes. News
about police raids, searches, bomb reports, and other information such
as the visit programme of Lord Shepherd, were withheld from the teleprinter
service to Communist newspapers. Items transmitted to the Communist
newspapers on the I.S.D. teleprinter were not numbered to prevent them
from keeping a check on the number of messages sent out by the I.S.D.
OTHER COMMUNIST NEWSPAPERS
9.
The New Evening Post has paid rental up to 24.1.68, the Hong Kong
Commercial Daily up to 17.1.68 and the Ching Fo Daily News up to
30.11.67. Another demand note for $712.50 for the quarter 1.12.67
to 29.2.68 was sent to the Ching Po Daily News on 18.12.67 and their
reply is awaited.
CONFIDENTIAL
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