Dr. Gammara
HONG KONG GOVERNMENT
OFFICE
MALL LONDON S. w. I
5 4
PALL
Our Ref: 42/220SD.
3rd October, 1967.
...
Dear Benny
I enclose a copy of a poster received from Information Services in Hong Kong which we have been asked to distribute to Hong Kong Chinese restaurant owners. The idea apparently is that they should display it in their windows to demonstrate a connect- ion with Hong Kong rather than with China. The suggestion that a poster on these lines should be produced was first mooted in Hong Kong at the time of the hostile demonstrations against the British · Consulate General in Shanghai and the British Embassy in Peking, as it was feared that anti-Chinese feeling in Britain might affect the business of Chinese restaurants here and reduce remittances to the New Territories. In Commonwealth Office cable No. 1544 of 25th July you said that you did not think that business had in fact been affected or that posters were necessery or desirable. Apparently the Portland Square incidents must have decided Hong Kong to go ahead and a large number of these posters have been air freighted to us.
I shall be grateful for your reaction to the distribution of these posters. My information is that the Portland Place incidents did affect the business of Chinese restaurants for a short time and that there were a few unpleasant incidents including visits by toughs who refused to pay for their meals and tried to start fights. The effect annears to have been temporary and public memories short.
We have our own ideas as to the likely effectiveness of these nosters but would like yours.
Ĥl Cartão discussed with 14° Scopuri, Yours sincerely ни
of myself.
it wins regused that there posters shouts berut to restaurant owners
would decide for thems
to
R. 318.
Chem
whe thr
Ansu/w.
W.S.Carter, Esa., C.V.O.,
Commonwealth Office,
Curtis Green Building,
Victoria Embankment, LONDON, S.W.1.
P.A. on file.
ALE
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पी,
دیا
bat
(P.C.M.Sedgwick).
Encl: (1) PCMS/VMH.
RECEIVED IN ARCHIVES No.63 4 OCTMCI
73,20
TELEPHONE WHITEHALL 01-930-79|
CABLES HONGAID LONDON S.W. I
32
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