TNAG-0228-FCO40-264-Briefs-for-Governor-of-Hong-Kong-1970 — Page 16

CONFIDENTIAL

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With reference to your note on the attached minute from the PUS to Sir Leslie Monson, I give below my comments on those questions asked by Mr Maddocks which relate to my side of the office.

2.

As a general comment, I would say that nearly all the questions are ones which we ourselves would like to put to the Governor. It is interesting that Mr Maddocks, after his sojourn in Hong Kong, has also had cause to think about these issues.

3.

Question 12:

I do not consider that the fact that students are revolting elsewhere in the world necessar- ily means that they will revolt in Hong Kong. My impression is that the more intelligent of the young Chinese (and this must, of course, mean very largely the student population) are fully aware of the uncertainty of their future in the Colony. Those who are pro-Peking (and I cannot believe that there are many of them) would

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at the appropriate time. Those who are not pro-communist will, in my view, seize the first convenient opportunity to emigrate.

4.

Question 15: Although the subject of hawkers represents a social problem, it also represents a poten- tial political problem. There are some 60,000 hawkers in Hong Kong and they are a potential and obvious target for communist infiltration and propaganda.

5.

Question 17: In the midst of the sophistication, affluence and highly geared development of Hong Kong, the Colonial Secretariat must stick out as an appalling anachronism. You have recently minuted on this subject to Sir Leslie Monson, with suggestions for doing exactly what Mr Maddocks suggests in this question.

6.

Question 18: The only comment that I can make on this is that we must first know what makes the Department in question notoriously sluggish before we can suggest a remedy. One solution, of course, would be a change in personnel. I note, for example, that in the case of Establishments Division of the Secretariat (Hong Kong are notoriously bad at dealing with staff matters), the Head of the Division has recently been upgraded. I hope that this will achieve results.

7.

Question 19:

There are undoubtedly a few people who feel extremely strongly on this subject. But I am convinced that it is only a few people and that it is very largely confined to expatriates.

8. Question 20: The problem of devising ways and means of enabling the people of Hong Kong to participate more fully in the conduct of the Colony's affairs, is one on which we have spent more time than on any other single problem. The question of reconstituting the Urban Council has been under consideration for a very long time and we are hoping that the Governor will let us have his recommendations before the end of this year.

/So

CONFIDENTIAL