fco-21-45-whereabouts-of-eric-gordon-and-family — Page 6

letter, and for your efforts,

and the efforts of the Foreign office, on behalf of my brother, Eric
Gordon and his family in Peking.

I suppose you have not yet received any news of them. ?

When someone from the British Mission in Peking, is allowed, by the
Chinese, to see my Brother and his family, do you think that a short
message could be given to them,? If they could please tell Eric and
Marie that their Mothers,

(and also their other relatives), are keeping well, we would be very
grateful. (AND ALSO IF POSSIBLE END LOVE FROM

"MOTHERS & ALL RELATIVES,← REGARDS FROM FRIENDS Eric, particularly, will
be anxious about mother, and how she is taking this, as`she is elderly,
and a worrier, and Eric might be afraid that she is making herself ill
worrying about him. As it happens, mother has managed to keep well, and

- -

HAVE

CONTINUA KLY

FROM THEIR

MOTHER THAT SBC

is in good health.~(~ +FAMILY WOULD NOT BE HARMED BY THE CHINESE. OF

INESE

AS

NE

COURSE, WE COULD NOT BE SURE; ALTHOUGH, FIR. GREY SEEMG) TO RE

Fric and Marie must be under enough strain without

ALRIGHT

having to worry about their mothers as well.

We would all be very grateful if this message could

possibly, please, be given to them.

Thank-you very much indeed.

Yours sincerely,

A.

Gordon (MISS.) ·

A. Gordon. (Miss).

اسلام

HOUSE

COMMON

+

EE.D.10

enter

HOUSE OF COMMONS

LONDON, S.W.1

22nd July,1968

Consula

Me to

Polyp

02317

I shall be grateful if you will give the

enclosed communication from...Jeffrey Gordon

71, ertford Road, 1,2, your attention

and send me a reply which I can forward to

my constituent.

RECEIVE

IN

ARCH

21

24 JUL 1000

Please acknowledge.

Ben Whitaker il Ben Whitaker

аю

At,How, Michdel Stewart, E.F.,

Foreign Secretary

RECEIVED IN

**CHIVES N. 31

-1 AUG 1968

Fe 1/42

H.C.918 (305227) 1 SM St.S.

TuDer 8697

Dear Mr. Whittaker,

FIVED IN

MUM.VES N.HERTFORD ROAD -1 AUG 1968 EAST FINCHLEY

FEI LONDON, N. 2.

پتا

16.7.68.

andwicent by

write t

the whereas

tracing ERIC

9

Mr.

John

Mendelson

yesterday

the

quistion of

Chinc

7

brother ERIC GARDEN

mya

on KIM(aged (2) in Je towary

ROAD N.W3.

his wife MARIE, and their

Before they left for Peking

1945, they

livet

WILLOW

and

constituents.

your

brother

the

G

in

Peking

Forang Panguages Perseny loved by

phonseologul polisher. In

words he

Marie Gordon,

Chine

publications.

sister-in-law, "The Chinese students

taught Renglish

college at the end

wrote that

at

they

Patria.

October, 1467

about to

set off for England. Since then,

+

+

આ

+

+

2

a

period of NINE MONTHS, nothing

been heard

from them. British Chargé d'Affaires

The

in Peking

rezescitation Ministry,

at the Chinese rege Munity but

repeatedly Rebuffed. Which

both families I have The Chinese Legation in

Q!

the

member of

bea to

London

the

The

responsal

engines

tol

theis

letters at

for occasions, but has been met following people

there have been no

again

negative.

Wave made

China but

replies to

all: PROFESSOR J. NEEDILAM

(CAMBRIDGE), PROFESSOR FITZGERALD (AUSTRALIA) EX- DEAN OF CANTERBURY'S
WIFE, LAWRENCE DALY / SCOTTISH MINERS), I. BRADLEY (N.U.J.)

THE

OF

A. E.U. SECRETARY OF

IS

E

THEIR MEMBERS

PARLAMENT DISCUSSING POSSIBILITIES

APPROACH, AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL,

LORD BERTRAND

RUSSELL WROTE TO

writté several times

CHOU EN LAI (NO REPLY). howe.

9

+

3

every possible authority in

whatsoever. For instans Ele

As

Chin, but

there thave licen

xaplico

have

monition to

$

Chaman Mar.

to

Chri

Chon ka Lai, Chinen Forage Minning, Foreign Languages Press Frindshop

Hostel (

1965

Strmy

m

ستار

if

Wik

thing live it from tod (Det., 1967), Ammer Louisa

and

would appreciate it

Mr.

way

Mr. Margaret Thatcher (M.P.

- to whom I

for my

writing,

could

disass

مديرية

possibilities of appoad to the

whinch

Gordon

authorities

གྱི་ཐུག

the approaches.

lead to the raining

being tracent

may China

Chin bain

Joffrey Gordon (JEFFREY GARDON)

1

F.E.D

240

r

.

*39

Written Answers

M JULY 1968 Governmen. stating in each case the denomination of the
church.

Mr. Mulley: No Embasy Churches are maintained or partially maintained
maintained by Her Majesty's Government.

CZECHOSLOVAKIA

Mr. Frool's a¬ked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he
is aware of the large scale movements of Soviet military forces in the
neighbourhood of the Czechoslovakian herder: and if he will raise the
matter in the Security Council of the United Nations as a threat to
international peace.

Mr. Goronwy Roberts: We have seen official announcements by the Soviet
Union on 23rd and 25th July of military and air defence exercises in
We-tem Russia. The answer to the second part of the Question is No.

BRITISH SUBJECTS, CHINA (DETENTION)

Mr. Whitaker asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what
informa- tion he has concerning Mr. Gordon, a British subject, and his
family in China.

Mr. Foley: On 1st February Mr. Gordon's relatives in England informed us
that the family had been due to leave China in early November but that
no news of them had been received since then. On 3rd February the
British Mission in Peking were instructed to ask the Chinese authorities
for assistance in discovering the family's whereabouts; this request has
since been repeated at frequent intervals but no reply has been
received. As enquiries in Hong Kong and elsewhere have revealed no trace
of the family, we are obliged to conclude that they have been detained
in China. The British Chargé d'Affaires in Peking will continue his
efforts to obtain informa- tion from the Chinese authorities.

VISA-FREE ENTRY (DISCUSSIONS)

Dr. Gray asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if he will
initiate discussions with the Governments which distinguish for purposes
of visa-free entry between United Kingdom issued in London and those
issued else- passports

34 Z IJ

26.768

239 w

769

Written AntDUCER

where, with a view to securing the aboli- tion of such dispactions,

Mr. Foley: When negotiating visa abolition agreements with othe. Govern-
ments. Her Majesty's Government aim at cbtaining visa-free entry for as
many United Kingdom nationals as possible. It is, however, only to be
expected that 01he- Governments will be reluctant to grant visa-tree
entry to United Kingdom national who have no guarantee of ad- mission to
the United Kingdom itself. The ability of Her Majesty' Government to
secure the abolition of distinctions of the kind referred to is clearly
restricted by the terms of the Commonwealth In- migrants Acts of 1962
and 1968.

PASSI ORT-OFFICE (REVIEW

OF PROCEDURE)

Mr. Judd asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he
will estab- lish a committee to review the exercise by the Passport
Office of its discretion concerning the issue of passports in Lon- don
to citizens of the United Kingdom and Colonies.

Mr. Foley: In so far as applications to the Passport Office by active
supporters of the illegal régime in Rhodesia are concerned, the matter
is already covered by the arrangements outlined in the state- ment
circulated on 27th June by my right bon. Friend the Sceretary of State
for Commonwealth Affairs. Considera. tion is being given to the
extension of the review procedure to the refusal of pass- ports to
citizens of the United Kingdom and Colonies unconnected with Rhodesia.
The result of this consideration will be announced in due course.- [Vol.
767, c. 126-130.]

BRITISH BROADCASTING CORPORATION (JIFBREW

SERVICE)

Mr. Alexander W. Lyon asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs
whether he will make a statement on the future of the British
Broadcasting Corporation Hebrow Service.

Mr. Foley: A careful review has re- cently been made of the Hebrew
Service in the light of the need to ensure that, in existing
circumstances, the funds available for information work are spent

RECEIVED IN

¦ ARCHIVES No.31 30 JÚL 1968

Fa/42

لستا

1

DL154229 Op.863

FZ 1/42

PARLIAMENTARY QUESTION

for WRITTEN answer on

F.E.D.

The draft reply should reach the Parliamentary Office through your
Under-Secretary by

49

107

Mr. Ben Whitaker (Hampstead): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign
Affairs, what information he has concerning Mr. Gordon, a British
subject, and his family

in China.

26th July, 1968

MR. MAURICE FOLEY

On the 1st of February Mr. Gordon's relatives

in England informed us that the family had been due to

leave China in early November but that no news of them

had been received since then. On the 3rd of February

the British Mission in Peking were instructed to ask the

Chinese authorities for assistance in discovering the

family's whereabouts; this request has since been

repeated at frequent intervals but no reply has been

received. As enquiries in Hong Kong and elsewhere have

revealed no trace of the family, we are obliged to conclude

that they have been detained in China. The British Chargé

d'Affairs in Peking will continue his efforts to obtain

information from the Chinese authorities.

Previous References

Flag A

Parliamentary Question by

29 May, 1968

Kr. Eldon Griffiths

Flag B

Adjournment Debate

13 June, 1968

Flag C

Foreign Affairs Debate

18 July, 1968

Mr. Wilkinson

Parliamentary Office

CONFIDENTIAL

CEIVED IN

Jö8

FZ1/Z

PARLIAMENTARY QUESTION BY MR. BEN WHITAKER

26th JULY, 1968

We first learned that the Gordon family were in diffi-

culties from an enquiry made by Mr. Gordon's brother on

1 February. (The Gordone have at no time been in touch

with our Mission in Peking.) He informed us that the family

had been due to leave China in early November and that no

news had been received from them since October. As the

family were regular correspondents, their relatives in this

country were seriously concerned. We have received confir-

mation from Hong Kong that there is no record of the family

having passed through the Colony. On 3 February, our Mission

in Peking asked the Chinese authorities for assistance in

discovering the family's whereabouts. Further formal

requests for information have been made at 4 6 week inter-

vals. It is the Mission's practice also to make informal

enquiries by telephone weekly. No reply has been received

from the Chinese.

CONFIDENTIAL

../ 2 ..

CONFIDENTIAL

2.

A French resident of the "Friendship Hostel" told our

Mission on 19 Hay that he had seen Mr. Gordon and his family

at the hostel "within the last few weeks" where they had

appeared for about one day only. They then appeared to be

under no form of restraint. Since then we have heard nothing •

3. We understand from Mr. Gordon's brother that he had made

extensive notes with a view to writing a book about China

after his return home. The xenophobia and "spy mania" current

in China as a result of the Cultural Revolution would make

the possession of such notes sufficient justification in

Chinese eyes for Mr. Gordon's detention. Another possible

reason why Mr. Gordon might be in difficulties is that he was

connected through his work with a Chinese leader now in

eclipse. The chances of finding out more about the case are

unfortunately alight.

4. I attach a draft reply and a list of previous Parlia-

mentary references.

employed by the

Даши гламу

(James Murray)

25 July, 1968.

Mi Anden was

Freign Languages Pren

Peking

Bhathensc

25/v11.

CONFIDENTIAL

NOTHING TO BE WRITTEN IN THIS MARGIN

Registry No.

DEPARTMENT

Fer/42

4:

SECURITY CLASSIFICATION PRIORITY MARKINGS

To: Secret Saree Confidental

Emergency Immediate

Briority

Restricted Unchasified

Routing

* Date and time (G.M.T.) telegram should

reach addressco(s)

2

(Date)

Despaloned

3717

1600

CYPHEN

Confidential.

Emretair

Lunic

Cypher

Draft Telegram to

No.

(Date)

'771°

And to:-

Security_classification

[Codeword-if any).

Addressed to

telegram No.

And to.....

26/7 repeated for information to ...

Sarping 10

Repeat to:-

(date).

-------2-

GORDON Gordon

Miss A. Gorbon, Enna Gordon's

H

Şiring 10:-

Sister has

written

to

The Parliamentar

Unico Sectekan asking that

A

message

1810/0

26

2.5

IF BY

be passed to her brother of my

any

Distributions

Filis

FED.

Copies to:-

羽って

chance you

Doram access to him.

soming that the mothers of

Enc and

Marie and men me

felatium ade

are keeping well and

Send their love and fliems send

regards

༡༠

L

[3]

Ed (3084)

Mr Derry

M. Murray

し

Reference.....

то най

46

Ent

RECEIVED IN ARCHIVES No.31

30 JUL 1968

Mr Eric Gorda Fe 1/42

I attach Grizeft draft replies to those letters conconing Mr. Eric
Gordon. We have photocopies of the enclouses,

2. I attach also daft telegram, which does

not need to be submitted.

Mark A. Hall

25/7

a

Kieglum

Telegram

sent

Вадстрани.

Jom Denmar

Denson

:

L

1

4:

Private Secretary

RECFIVED IN

L

ARVIS No.31

29 JUL 1968

F21142

Flag A

Mr. Eric Gordon and Family

I attach a draft reply to Kr. David Watkins, M.P.

letter of 9 July which enquired about Mr. Eric Gordon and

his family, whom we believe to be detained in China.

The draft follows closely the terms of the letter

sent by Mr. Rodgers to the Rev. The Lord Soper.

The

background of the case is covered in my submission of

There have been no developments since

2.

Flag G

Flags C

1 May and 28 May.

and D

then.

Munay.

(James Murray)

22 July, 1968.

45

مساجد

Entour

MAA

י

Fur/42

44

23 July, 1968

Thank you for your letter of 9 July about

Mr. Eric Gordon, whom we believe may be in

detention in china. I am returning the

correspondence you enclosed.