Letter
To:-
M. J. Richardson
Pekerj
Cc C.3. Howell Hiki
Type 1
From
Telephone No. & Ext.
Department
To issue
1%
Mrs Gladys Yany.
Richard Samuel hay asked me to let
Know that he ray
Rep
Pre subment
Tartary Brown,
on
14 June
let you
Yang's sister Thos Hilda
Mas Yang's
This frown said that she
10/% had received three letters from her sister,
in her letter 2 Tay
ل-
one registered, all strongly urging
her
Richard said to has that in view
west wish
to try to dissuade her,
to
the last
go to Pekry.
he would
and that the umbessadors
advice, which had bean waveyed to her had been given ingual fant
requerented. This fans's real wisher
2. This Brown
end July
said whe
>
in the belief that of fo
a visa
to
до
at the
has applied for
she had apparently briously sheft
not mentioned
手
Gladys Youg
via
connection with her application. Richard
.
19/6
i wished her luck and asked her to
faidak
|
look in at the Embarry
In arrive
Then she got there.
In
Polking
Reference
FEL 14/3
NOTE FOR FILE
30/5
ী
BRITISH SUBJECTS DETAINED IN CHINA
1. Mrs Hilda Brown, Mrs Gladys Yang's sister, telephoned me this
afternoon to say that she was somewhat perplexed by the communications
she had received from Mr Addis in Peking and from her sister. Mr Addis
had advised her not to go to Peking; Mrs Yang, on the other hand, had
said that she would be delighted to see her. Between receiving Mr
Addis's letter and that from her sister she had written to the latter
saying that she did not propose to go to China this year. She thought
that Mrs Yang would now return to the charge with her and press her to
come.
2. She wished to discuss the position with
Mr Samuel,when he returned from Peking on leave, and myself. I promised
to contact her when
Mr Samuel came to see us. Her telephone number is 959 7285.
30 May 1972
Доб
RBR Hervey
DD 137719 557664 500M 207 GM 343/2
1
Foreign and Commonwealth Offic
London S.W.1
I ✪ UTF
P.KI, G
12 May 1972
Dan lain
BOOK BY FOREIGNERS WHO HAVE WORKED IN PEKING
1. Thank you for your letter of 29 April concerning Glad's Yang's
inquiry about a book written at an official inst tution in Poking.
2.
As you say, Eric Gordon's "Freedom is a word" fite the description. It
is also possible that Mrs Yang was thinking of one of the following:-
"Away with all posts", by Joshua Horn,
Nelson, 1970.
"The Cultural Revolution et Peking University"
by Victor Nee, Lonthly Review Press, 1969.
"China Observed" by Colin Huckerras and Neale Hunter,
Pall Mall Press, 1968 (also paperback by Sphere Books)
(Hunter who worked es a teacher in Shanghai
-
whereas Mɛckorras was in Peking later published another book, "Shenghai
Journal".)
Unlike Eric Gordon, the authors of the books listed above t-ke e
generally favourable attitude to the Chinese system, and that by Joshua
Horn gives particularly glowing praise of Chinese achievemente.
Yours ever
Ken has shown this to me.
P.S.2l believe there was also a boste
a Swis: the worked in the Fireyn lang reyes hustitute. The Swiss Smidary
may bars it.
II
I I mingine you will bear in
de weli mit të
mat
to conde
1
זיי י
+
Men
+
KC Welker
Revurel. Sep: rtwint
31
RESTRICTED
FEE
Reference
14/3
A
Mr Davies (PED)
GLADYS YANG: REQUEST TO SEE A BOOK WRITTEN BY A FOREIGNER WHO HAD WORKED
IN PEKING
1.
Would you please see the attached letter from Iain Orr and my reply. It
appears that the Ambassador is considering providing a book of the kind
requested to Mrs Yang.
2. Mr Brewer has asked me to mention to you the possibility that the
provision of books published outside China, particularly if they contain
adverse comments on the Chinese system, could have implications for Mrs
Yang's security. We assume that the Ambassador is fully aware of this,
but you may wish to add some remarks to my letter before sending it off!
3. It seems appropriate that these papers should be entered FE.
12 May 1972.
KC Walker
Far Eastern Section Research Department
Letter to issue
た
our ples)
our
• to ime Xiary for mand
DD #15637
5000 7/71 GM 3443/2
RESTRICTED
KC Walker Esq Research Department FCO
RESTRICTED
BRITISH EMBASSY \PEKING
Fez 14/1
29 APRIL 1972
Dear Ken,
1. When Gladys Yang saw the Ambassador the other day she said that she
would be interested in seeing a book which she believed had been written
recently by a foreigner working either in the Foreign Languages
Institute or for Hsinhua
but news agency. She thought the author's name was Gilbert, was not sure
if this was correct. She did not know the title.
The only one Do you have any information about this book? which I can
think of recently is Eric Gordon's book"Freedom is a Word," but there
may have been another.
Yours even,
I air
RESTRICTED
I C Orr
love
CONFIDENTIAL
930 8440
Fe wils
JM Addio Req ƠMG PEKING
12 May 1972
(2)
888
W0248
ROLFE)
to see file
GLADYS YANG
1. Thank you for your letter of 2 May about your conversation with
Gladys Yang at the end of the week before.
We have posted your letter to Mrs Brown. I do not know whether she will
now reply. If she does, and if she asks us to forward the letter to you,
we shall of course let you have it.
$..
3. I was most interested to read what you had to say about Gladys
herself. I knew her quite well mysolf in 1956 and 1957. I remember
spending an evening at a house in Peitaiho which she and her husband had
rented for spell in the summer of 1956. We talked polities for a very
long time; and in a spirit of great seriousness. She was certainly not
relaxed then; and I am very glad to know that she is now in the frame of
mind you describe. Her ordeal must have at times put her under very
great strain.
RK Evans
Far Eastern Department
CONFIDENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL
letter (exc) sent
915 SAC
88
22
BRITISH EMBASSY
PEKING
Thi Hervey. I think we must pass
цей
Перепе
Do
you'l
o Comuneor
Dept.) agrae ? ₤2 May 1972
هف
I shell ccs.
R.E.
Ryans 259
Far Eastern Department
Foreign and Commons:alth Office
нового
Enter
LONDON SWI
Dear Richard,
R.E.
815.
I agree.
87/5.
дерт.
915
+
1. Gladys Yeng came and had tea with me at my house at the end of last
week. I think that the main purpose of her visit was to enlist my
support in persuading her sister, Mrs Brown, not to come and visit her
this year. This I could do with a clear conscience and complete
conviction, and I enclose, with a copy for your files, e letter to her
conveying this advice personally from myself.
2. Having known Gladys in Yanking in 1948/49, wher she was rather an
intense person, I was surprised how elaxed and composed she now is after
the ordeal of five years in detention, most of them in solitary
confinement. She is clearly delighted to be back at work and reunited
with her husband and to have the prospect of seeing the children again.
3.
She said that the Institute of Foreign Languages is still undergoing the
process of struggle, criticism and transformation. She said that the
influence of the May 16 Group had been strong there. She would therefore
find it difficult having her sister staying here while these processes
were going on all round. The Party Secretary had advised against a visit
by her sister this year, but had said that a visit next year would be
all right. Gladys had written to her sister accordingly but meanwhile
had received a further letter from her returning to the charge and
urging a visit this year. Mrs Brown was clearly anxious about Gl dys and
wanted to be reassured. Gladys had gone back to the Party Secretary who
was prepared to sanction a visit this year after all, though with some
reluctance. G1 dys thought that in all the circumstances a visit next
year would be far more appropriate, and I think she is right.
4.
Three or four times in the course of our talk she referred to the Party
Secretary in this way as the arbiter of decisions, rather as someone in
different circumstances might refer to the rulings from Farm Street.
Apart from this acceptance of Forty authority and discipline, her
comments were in general well-balanced and reasonably objective.
CONFIDENTIAL
15.
CCNFIDENTIAL
5. Gladys has been reading a book on the Cultural Revolution by an
American who was here for the early stages of it (I forget his name) and
asked eagerly if there were any other accounts of this kind. She
commented that at the time it had been difficult to tell which was the
correct line and which was ultra-leftist or revisionist. Often two
factions seemed to be equally correct. I commented that it seemed that
some times the decision which was correct was only taken after the
event, and she did not dissent. She said that she still did not grasp
the full meaning of the Cultural Revolution, and that it would be years
before all its implications became clear.
6.
She said that she understood why it was that the Chinese authorities did
not allow persons under investigation to communicate with their
relatives and friends. When her children had been told of her arrest,
each one of them had "drawn a line" under that part of her life and it
would have been disturbing for them to receive messages from their
mother. All three children were brought up as Chinese speakers, but
Gladys said that they had inevitably picked up some knowledge of English
from their home circumstances.
The younger daughter wants now to study English at the Foreign Languages
Institute, and Gladys hopes that it might be possible for her to come
here next year for this purpose and to stay with her. She had wondered
if this would be all right but the Farty Secretary had reassured her
that it would.
7.
She has not yet mixed much with other members of the Institute but so
far as she knows she is the only British subject there, though there are
a number of Americans. She has never done any teaching but has only been
concerned with translations.
Her main work now to which she is returning, is for the monthly "English
Literature", Before the Cultural Revolution she and Hsien-Yi were
engaged on full translations of "The Dream of the Red Chamber" and of
Seu-me Chien's Li-Shih. Since her release one of her colleagues had
returned to her the manuscripts of the translations which had been
prescrved in - tact during the Dultural Revolution. It is not possible
for them to return to them immediately but they hope that it will be
after a few years.
fours ever.
John Add's
ENC
CONFIDENTIAL
J M Addis
Mrs Hilda Brown
7 Sunnydale Gardens Mill Bill
LONDON NU? 3PD
FRITISH EMBASSY
PEKING
7 May 1972
Gladys came to tea at my house at the end of last weeż, She is looking
well, relaxed and content. She told me that you were hoping to visit her
this year and that she had written to you suggesting that a visit next
year would be better. For ng part, if I may, I should like to support
that advice. Although Gladys has come through this long and difficult
period of trial with so much composure and good balance, she must
necessarily now be going through a period of readjustment in relation to
Hsien-yi, the children and her work at the Institute. Moreover, the
Institute itself in still going through a period of rwörganisation and
readjustment. Al: hơngh 1 understand very well your wish to ace Gladys
again as soon as possible, I really t: fżk that a visit from you at the
present time would cause difficaliis. for her. I would expect that by
next year things would have settled down from all points of view so that
your visit could take place in better circumstances.
I hope you will excuse this advice from a stranger on such a personal
matter. I do not think that Gladys will be keeping in close touch with
the Embassy now but she certainly knows that she can come to us at any
time.
J M Addis
=
Mrs Hilda Brown 7 Bunnydale Gardens Mill Hill
LONDON NW7 3PD
27 April 1972
25
Thank you for your letter of 19 April.
We can see no objection to your agreeing to being interviewed by Woman's
Hour about your sister's releano. You may wish to explain privately to
the interviewer beforehand that your sister's position is still a
delicate one and that for this reason you would prefer not to say very
much. I feel sure that the interviewer will respect your wishes.
You may like to have the form of words which Mrs Yang agreed with our
Embassy should be used in the event of press enquiries. Mrs Yang was
most anxious that nothing should be said beyond this.
You may wish to draw on it accordingly:
"Mrs Yang called at the Embassy on 30 March to renew her passport. She
was in good health. She told us that she had been well treated while in
detention The conditions under which she had been held were good and the
standards of food and hygiene were high. She had now returned to her old
flat. After a brief rest she would take up her previous job as a
translator at the Foreign Languages Press. She had been received by her
friends and colleagues with a warmth beyond her expectations. Her
husband had been released at about the same time and had resumed his
former job in the Foreign Languages Press. She was extremely happy that
everything had turned out the way it had and that she could lead her
ordinary life again. She was most grateful to those who had taken an
interest in her well being."
If you are asked about the reason for her detention, I think it would be
best to reply simply that you are not clear about the background to
this.
/I
I
I understand from our Kabassy that Mrs Yang has now written to you. I am
sure she has given you news about the family. I can see no objection to
your mentioning that the children have all returned from their various
places of work of groet her,
RBR HorvVOY
Far Eastern Department
(285363) Dd. 896639 1,000M 1/71 SUS.
NOTHING TO BE WRITTEN IN THIS MARGIN
·
Registry No.
SECURITY CLASSIFICATION
Top Secret
Secret.
Confidential. Restricted.
Unclassified,
PRIVACY MARKING
DRAFT LETTER
To:-
Mra Hilda Brown
7 Sunnydale Gardens Mill Hil1
LONDON NW7 3PD
Type [ +
From
Mr Hervey
Telephone No. & Ex
Department
Far Eastern Department
I
L
In Confidence
17cw27/4
The Her
Dps to loser
ва
2774
Thank you for your letter of 19 April.
We
letter
I can see no objection to your agreeing to being interviewed by Woman's
Hour about your sister's
release.provided you are as discreet as possible.
many wah
+
You should perhaps explain privately to the interviewer
الان آنی من
beforehand that your sister's position remaine somewhat delicate and
that you are thereford uhwilling to say
would prepes nom
very much.
I feel sure that the interviewer will
respect your wishes,
This Young agreed with
The
You may like to have the form of wards which our
Embassy agreed with
even of
press interest was aroused.
g should be used if-any
Mrs Yang was/anxious
beyond th
that nothing farther should be said and you may wish to draws on its
f
the bottom yu
"Mrs Yang has called at the Embassy to renew her
on some ccordingly:
passport, and was in good health. She told us
that she had been well treated while in detention.
had bee
Conditions under which she was held were good and
She had
A standards of food and hygiene high.
now returned to her old flat and After a short
Така тр
ime to
rest would resume her previous job as translator
at the Foreign Languages Press. She had been
received by her friends and colleagues with a
yed
warmth which was far beyond her expectations.
-1-
/Ber
Her husband had been released at about the same
time and had resumed his former job in the
Foreign Languages Press. She was extremely
happy that everything had turned out the way it
had and that she could lead her ordinary life
again. She was most grateful to those who had
taken an interest in her well being."
If you are asked about the reason for her detention,
I think it would be best to reply simply that you
verk you
und the
You might add that
are not clear about this.
during the Qultural Revolution a wholly unusual
situation existed and many foreigners were arrestéd.
I understand from our Embassy that Mrs Yang has now
she have
written to you. She has probably given you a
certain amount of news about the family. I can see
no objection to your mentioning that the children have
places of won't
all returned from their various work/to greet her.
-2-
сво
NOTHING TO BE WRITTEN IN THIS MARGIN
01-950 7285
14
M
SOON
24/4
Jury (twath
Enes ply
7 Sunnydale GarDENS
MILL HILL
London NW7 3PD
19 April 1972
FEL
Dear Her. Hervey
Thank
you for your
w
letter 27
27 April,
.
کرتے
2414
giving me the confidential information about
my sister, Gladys Yang's, interview with the British Consul in Peking.
I have been asked by the Editor
Woman's Hour & say a few words about
の
Gladys' release. You have stressed that she is
anxious not to have the details of her case
made public, but I believe that she would
objection to our publicising the
have no obj warm reception she received an
returning home,
< the
The wou
shes her
• his husband have been
way
Jeen
fully re-instated. On the detention I would limit myself to saying that
she had expressed the cultural revolution, but that her
criticisms 1
conditions had beth good & her health was good Throughout. I could also
mention the children.
whether
I would be glad of your advice as t
you should take place, <. if so, what
Think The Woman's Hour interview
what may safely be
said. The purpose would be just & ressoure his feners that the outcome
has been ever Lappier than we could have hoped.
Yours sincerely
Hilda Brown
·
To: R.B.R. Hervey, For Eastern Dept. Foreign & Commonwealth
office.
John Gorst Esq "P
House of Commons
Lond on
SWIA OAA
13 April 1972
С
24
и
23
Many thanks for your letter of 10 April about *rs Gladys Yang.
It was most kind of yo. to write. Mrs Yang's release gave me particular
satisfaction as it occurred in the last few days of my time as Head of
Far Eastern Department. We have heard from Peking that she had a most
satisfactory home-coming with her husband, who had been released a week
earlier, waiting to seat her.
JAL "organ Cultural Relations Department
1
JOHN GORST, M.P.
HOUSE OF COMMONS" LONDON SWIA OAM
23
enter FExpa
SH
Koth April, 1972.
13.4
Dear My Morgan,
141)
This note is just to say how appreciative I am of your advice and
guidance over the
case of Mrs. Gladys Yang.
As I am sure you will be aware, her brother and sister were delighted at
the successful result, which I have no doubt owes a great deal to vour
own assistance.
I do not know whether Mrs. Brown has been in touch with you, but I
gather she has already received a telegram from her sister in China, and
is contemplating applying for a visa if she gets any
indication from Mrs. Yang that a visit would be welcomed.
With many thanks.
Ack sent. ....Youus siiaul,
Mim
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.