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3. WE CONTINUE TO SEE EVIDENCE OF A GENERALLY LOW MORALE IN COMMUNIST
CIRCLES, PARTICULARLY IN TRADE UNIONS WHERE ATTENDANCE AT MEETINGS
REMAINS POOR. OF PARTICULAR CONCERN TO COMMUNIST LEADERS IS THE FACT
THAT ONCE 'STRIKERS' GAIN ALTERNATIVE EMPLOYMENT THERE IS A TENDENCY
TO LOSE INTEREST IN COMMUNIST ACTIVITIES. IN COMMERCIAL, PUBLISHING,
BANKING, INSURANCE AN PRESS CIRCLES THEY ARE CONCENTRATING ON
EXPANSION OF BUSINESS. HERE TOO THERE CONTINUES TO BE A FALL-OFF IN
ATTENDANCE AT OLITICAL STUDY GROUP MEETINGS. ALTHOUGH THE CHUNG WA
SCHOOL DEREGISTRATION WAS VIEWED AS A SETBACK, MORALE IN COMMUNIST EDUCATIONAL CIRCLES IS STILL RELATIVELY HIGH, MAINLY BECAUSE OF
THEIR EXPANSION PLANS AND THE PUBLICITY THAT THIS IS NOW BEING GIVEN.
IN GENERAL THE UNITED FRONT CAMPAIGN IS NOT HAVING THE SUCCESS HOPED
DESPITE THE EXAGGERATED PRESS COVERAGE. NEVERTHELESS, THIS IS A FIELD WHERE WE CAN EXPECT THE COMMUNISTS TO PERSEVERE, AS IT PROVIDES THE
MAIN OPPORTUNITY FOR GAINING SOME PUBLIC SUPPORT. IN THE NEW TERRIT-
ORIES THE COMMUNISTS' EFFORTS ARE LARGELY RESTRICTED TO AREAS WHERE
THEY HAVE THEIR OWN FOLLOWERS. THE COMMUNIST PRESS CONTINUES TO BE
VIRULENT IN ITS ATTACKS ON GOVERNMENT AND ALTHOUGH THE MORE EXTREME
LANGUAGE OF LAST YEAR HAS BEEN FORSAKEN, THESE PAPERS REMAIN MUCH
MORE OPENLY HOSTILE AS COMPARED WITH PRE-CONFRONTATION. THAT THEY ARE
COMPLETELY DISCREDITED IN THE EYES OF MOST NON-COMMUNISTS PERHAPS IS
BEST ILLUSTRATED BY THEIR FAILURE TO REGAN ANY OF THEIR HEAVY
CIRCULATION LOSSES. APART FROM OCCASIONAL UNITED FRONT WORK, DELEG- ATIONS AND BORADIC RASHES OF POSTERS AND SLOGAN PAINTING, THERE ARE,
AT PRESENT, FEW OUTWARD MANIFESTATIONS OF COMMUNIST ACTIVITY IN THE
COLONY. WITHIN THEIR OWN ORGANISATIONS THEY ARE FACED WITH A DEGREE
OF APATHY TOWARDS NEVER-ENDING MAO STUDY, AND THE COMMUNISTS NOW
/BADLY NEED
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