FO371-46259 — Page 115

Page 115

Page 115

BE WRITTEN

IN

THIS

MARGIN.

Registry

No. F.11807/1147/10.

A. L. 9.

Draft

2/1

Gent, KCMG

Mr. G. E. . @trent, Colonial Office.

From Mr. Kitson.

to be convincing to the entiside world.

"Helsson fulier y H. K. and "Secretion for Chimère appoin

O.L

NOTHING

to us

+

十

ос

10%

FOREIGN OFFICE, S.W. I.

OUT TILE

Confidential.

Dear Sent

January 1945.

I enclose a copy of notes on Hong Kong

drawn up by John Keswick, until lately Assistant Political Advisor to the Supreme Allied

Commander, South East Asia. They were given by

him to Sterndale-Bennett in mid-November but

have since I regret been mislaid. They have

been discussed by Mn Keswick with Sir

Horace Seymour and the latter has a copy of the (I understand he was attracted by Keswick's ideas in principle notes. We should be glad to have your views on

Keswick's proposals.

2.Our own tentative comments are that the

fornite Colang

proposedd change of name is a good idea, but it would

administrative will have to be accompanied by a change of char-

acter as well.

Keswick's proposals for

interesting?

I seems

this (see paragraph 4c) are challenging, but we dimbajul

would be

doubt if they are constitutionally practicable. One

The danger of "granting universal sufferage at

appears to be

Hong Kong

that 98% of the population is

Chinese, and before we

might find Hong Kong

knew where we were we voted into incorporation jelting into co óperation

Governor

with China, unless the Government were given

Velo

brande

legal powers to prevent against this. A solution

might be to have a council, half selected and

elected

the

half limited, with a proportion of the latter

gradually increasing.

3. We agree with the points Keswick makes in

4(d)

paragraph for example, Chinese are at present

not allowed to own property on the Peak, and

there are doubtless other firms of discrimination.

Chiang Kai-

As regards the New Territories, Chiang Kai-

Shek made it plain in his speech on the 24th

xos Dujust

Page 115

Page 115

Page 115Page 116

F

last August/the