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These laid down that, in normal circumstances, visits by carriers
should not exceed one a month. The programme of visits from early
July to early September, a period of 9 weeks, involved the visit of
four carriers (including "Constellation"). The Governor has since
been given discretion to arrange for a visit of the "Constellation"
to be fitted in with the programme of visits by other American
naval ships but has been asked to avoid the bunching of visits by
carriers and other large American ships as far as possible.
Powers of Detention
10. Recent raids on Communist headquarters and buildings have led
to the arrest of some 20 prominent local Communists of considerable
security and intelligence interest. To provide for their continued
detention the Governor has been authorised to bring into force
emergency regulations conferring powers of detention.
11. This has been necessary for two reasons.
Firstly, because
existing legislation provides only for the deportation of aliens
and for their continued detention if deportation proves impracticable.
Powers are now required to deal with prominent local Communists who
are British subjects. Secondly, the case against the aliens now
in custody rests on evidence that would be inadmissible in a Court
or that could not be exposed to the Courts or to the deportation and
detention tribunals established under existing legislation (because
of the need to protect delicate sources).
12. We do not think these detentions will create any stir. Over
the past 10 years criminal Chinese aliens who could not be deported
have been detained for varying periods under existing legislation
without attracting adverse outside comment. The Governor has
indicated that the power will be used most sparingly; he does not
envisage the numbers to be detained rising above 30 to 40.
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