CONFIDENTIAL
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7.
We accordingly visited Stanley in the afternoon of Tuesday, 6 October and had a talk with Pickett and Ecob, the Senior Superintendent who is in charge of Stanley. We were joined for part of the time by the Medical Officer of Stanley, Dr. Thomas, an Indian from Singapore whom you met in February last year when you visited Stanley. We went over the six cases listed by the Prisons Department plus MOK Cheung who was not on the list but was the subject of communist representations on May 22. Dr. Thomas gave us some account of their medical troubles. I got the impression from him that their condition was rather worse than I had thought when I read the brief accounts of them. The outcome of this discussion was that Pickett decided to recommend to the Governor that all seven should be released. John Morgan explained to him his ideas on tactics and Pickett saw no difficulty there.
8.
As Mr. Royle is due to arrive on Friday, 9 October and as the Governor leaves Hong Kong for England on 17 October, we agreed with Pickett that he would get the recommendation up to the Secretariat to-day or to-morrow so that the Governor can look at it on Friday, October 9.
9.
I have to-day spoken to Denys Roberts (Attorney General) who sees no difficulty.
10.
It looks therefore as though everything is now in train for the kind of presentation to the Chinese Charge d'Affaires which John Morgan wants to make at the end of October. As the Governor, the Attorney General and the Commissioner of Prisons are agreed I cannot see that anything can go wrong.
11.
The reasons for this happy outcome are the accident that we started at Fanling where it is possible to discuss policy in a more relaxed atmosphere than at G.H. and John Morgan's very skilful handling of the Governor.
12.
I am keeping this letter on my private file and not putting it on the Hong Kong Government files. I should be grateful therefore if you did not refer to it. a copy to Len Appleyard at the F.C.O.
I am sending
I am
(A.F. Maddocks)
CONFIDENTIAL
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