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R Fletcher-Cooke Esq
my requests I was unable to meet with any local officials of minority races to discuss local questions.
8.
In Dali I visited a local Catholic church, where the 85 year old priest told me that two young men were currently training at a seminary in Chengdu, one of seven which are now operating in China. The priest expressed the most anti-
communist views of anyone whom I have met on the mainland. He was predictably particularly critical of government support for the church because it made independence impossible. He said that he would much like to find an alternative source of funds but acknowledged the difficulty of doing so, particularly with a congregation of only 30 or 40. The local Protestant church had a similarly small congregation. However, I was told that in Kunming the churches attract much larger congregations. This was certainly not true of Dali, there was a rather sad air of seediness about the buildings, though no lack of determination among those I met.
Yours ever
Toy
A J G Insall First Secretary Chancery
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