CONFIDENTIAL.
PX
ADDRESSED TO PEKING TELNO 267 OF 8/7 RFI TO HONG KONG.
79
F
1013
YOUR TELNO. 517.
BY ALL MEANS ACT IN THE TERMS YOU PROPOSE.
YOU WILL NOW HAVE SEEN ROBERTS' LETTER OF 2 JULY TO DAVIES BUT
THE FOLLOWING DETAILS MAY BE USEFUL, WHEN, AT THE TIME OF HER ARREST,
HER JEWELLERY WAS REMOVED, MRS. MARTIN CLAIMS TO HAVE MADE A REMARK TO
THE EFFECT THAT SHE HOPED THE PRISON AUTHORITIES
WOULD TAKE GOOD CARE OF IT. SHE CLAIMS THAT THEY ASSURED HER THAT
SHE NEED NOT WORRY AND THAT SHE WOULD GET IT ALL BACK WHEN SHE LEFT.
2. HOWEVER, WHEN SHE HAD BEEN QUOTE SENTENCED UNQUOTE (HOWELLS" LETTER
OF 9 APRIL TO WILSON, PARA. 9) AND WAS LEAVING SHE WAS TOLD, IN REPLY TO
HER REQUEST TO HAVE HER JEWELS RETURNED, THAT ALL HER POSSESSIONS HAD
BEEN CONFISCATED AND THAT HER JEWELLERY
WAS THEREFORE ALSO CONFISCATED.
DOUGLAS-HOME
DEPARTMENTAL DISTRIBUTION
F.E.D.
CONSULAR D.
CLAIMS D.
H.K.D.
CONFIDENTIAL
NOTHING TO BE WRITTEN IN THIS MARGIN
Registry No.
DEPARTHENT
FEC 14/1
"SUNITY CLASSIFICATION
Confidential
Unclassifed
ок
PRIORITY MARKINGS
(Date)
Flask Immedi
PRIVACY MARKING
In Confulence
En Clair. Gode Cypher
Draft Telegram to:-
No,
PEKING
L'ULL
(Date)
LIJIL
And to:-
267...
• Date and time (G.M.T.) telegram should
reach addressce(s)
------
patched
C
[Security_classification]
any
[ Privacy marking
-if any
[Codeword-if any]
Addressed to
telegram No..
And to
+
1
8/7 repeated for information to
R
CONFIDENTIAL
·
[IMMEDIATE PEKING
(date)
коже
[ROUTINE) HONG KONG
P
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Repeat to Нов кома
Saving to:--
Distribution:
fed
Contule
Clains
Hong Kong Deget.
Copies to:-
two Wilford
17552
EXAMENTO
Wo
Saving to
·ILL'
1.- Z
tel. no.
By all means act in the terms you propore
44.
You will now have seen Roberts letter of
2 July to Davies but the following details may be useful. When, at the
time of her arrest, her jewellery was removed, Ars. Martin claims to
have made a remark to the effect that she hoped the prison authorities
would take good care of it. She claims that they assured her that she
need not worry and that she would get it all back when she left.
2. However, when she had been quote sentenced unquote (Howells' letter
of 9 April to ilson., para.9) and was leaving she was told, in reply to
her request to have bur jewels returned, that all her posscssiona had
been confiscated and that her jewellery was
therefore also confiscated.
SM
8:
My. Stering
Mc Myby
FEC 14/1
Reference. mnib-----------------------
MO MARTIN'S PROPERTY
Peking telegram no.
517
at Πbelow.
My letter of 2 Inly to Mr. Davies
Fly
(at foris 76)
will only
have reached
Peking
the
day after
Mr. Allan sent
this telegram.
The clause in parenthesis
in paragraph
3
Letter
up my
many not
satisfy Mr. Allan's request for more detail
these promises
therefore
I have there fore
drafted
a
further Felegram, which should
до
'Ammediate!
Wokein 8 87m
Tec
Seat
for despatch 877
Aleynolds
79
TOP COPY
CYPHER/CAT A
PRIORITY PEKING
TELEGRAM NO.517
CONFIDENTIAL
TO FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE
6 JULY 1970
CONFIDENTIAL.
ADDRESSED TO F C O TELEGRAM NUMBER 517 OF 6 JULY A FITO
HÙNG KÔNG
12
YOUR TELNO 253.
EC 14/1
Draft tel.
yu
to Peking;
Milde,
PR 8 Ti
WE ARE SEEKING INTERVIEW WITH CONSULAR DEPARTMENT BUT I THINK
FOR ACTING CONSUL TO OPENLY TALK OF QUOTE THEFT AND NEGLIGENCE
UNQUOTE AT THIS STAGE WOULD PREVENT CHINESE FROM MAKING ANY
HELPFUL MOVES ON EITHER PERSONAL JEWELLERY OR MRS MAROTIN'S
PROPERTY SINCE IT MIGHT THEN LOOK AS IF THEY WERE RECOGNISING
OUR ALLEGATIONS AS CORRECT. I WOULD THEREFORE PROPOSE THAT IN
TALKING OF THE PERSONAL JEWELLERY ACTING CONSUL SHOULD RESTRICT
HIMSELF TO EXPRESSING CONTINUED ANXIETY AND REFERRING TO THE
PROMISES ON WHICH WE SHOULD BE GRATEFUL FOR FURTHER DETAILS
URGENTLY
MR. ALLAN
DEPARTMENTAL DISTRIBUTION
F.E.D.
CONSULAR DEPT
CLAIMS DEI A
H.K.D.
CONFIDENTIAL
+
(FEC 14/1)
Far Eastern Department
6 July, 1970
18
.e are most grateful to Mrs. Martin and to you for sparing the time to
come and see us on Wednesday. I think our discussion was very useful,
and we have now been able to ask our office in Peking to proceed with
the approach which we agreed on, I will naturally keep you aware of any
significant developmenta,
I return herewith the list of her property in Shanghai that Krs. Martin
so kindly wrote out for us, together with a spare copy of our
typewritten transcript.
There was one small matter on which we would be grateful for Mrs.
Martin's advice. We briefly spoke about the possible need to appoint an
agent in Shanghai to act on behalf of Mrs. Martin, I understand that the
Hong Kong and Shanghai Bank would prefer not to be involved, and it
occurred to me that rather than run the risk of causing embarrasssant to
her friends in ?hanghai by naming one of them as har agent Mrs, Kartin
might prefer to nominate the China Travel Service, as did Mr. Mobain,
This may also be quicker for you. For our part, we should like before
too long to be in a position to volunteer the name of Mrs. Martin's
agent to the Chiness.
C. Jansen, Esq.,
Milestone,
New Street,
Petworth,
Jax 877
(P. J. Robertá)
5
(HIH) DA. 391999 1,500μ 2169 8.
NOTHING TO BE WRITTEN IN THIS MARGIN
FEC Registry 4
No.
URITY CLASSIFICATION
Top Secret.
Secret
Confidential.
Datorveted.
Unclassified.
PRIVACY MARKING
In Confidence
DRAFT
To:-
C. Jansen, Esq
Milestone,
New Street,
ETWORTH
Type 1 +
From
Telephone N♣. &Ex1,
Department
She
Fm. 2
We
most grateful
to Mrs. Martin of to
spany the
you for
the time to come
Wednesday
P
see us yesterday! I think om.
discussio
was very useful
useful, and
we have now been able to ask
with the approach
Office in
Peking to
proceed
which
ve
agreed on.
keep you
aurare
I
I will maturally
significant
of any developers,
return herewith the list of
in Shanghai that Mars.
her
property
Martin so kindly wrote out for ws, together with a spare upy of on
typewritten transcript,
There
on which we would be grateful for
Martin's advice.
Spoke about
Spoke
сер
un altas
We briefly
Родстве
Ms.
about the freed to appoint
an agent in Shanghai to aut on behalf of hers. Martin, I
understand that the twong Kong
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prefa
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And it occurr
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to
that rather than
entrarragsunt to he
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friend in
Shanghai by
пов
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of then
Mrs Martin might prefe
to nominate, China Travel Service
Mr MeBain, this
may
, as fid
also be quicker for you. For our part we showed like befme tooling to
beste
in a position to whunter the name of pus Martin's apart hatch
+
NOTHING TO BE WRITTEN IN THIS MARGIN
Mr. Wilford
My Jord
o.r.
CONFIDENTIAL
56
Flags A
and B
I have before
wither of those klę. Imagin
aphed many
Thises that tele wolt Files on the fitt
Fistulaust be
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Flag A
Flag B
Mrs. Martin and Mr. McBain
You asked what action had been taken on your minute
of 18 May (folio 68 below).
2.
lie have now been told formally by the Chinese (Peking
telegrams Nos. 330 of 9 May and 444 of 11 June) that
Mr. McBain's property has been confiscated because of his
alleged offences against Chinese law and in part compen-
sation for the Chinese claim outstanding against Moellers,
and we have asked Er. Howells in Hong Kong to pass details
of these charges to Mr. McBain. After discussing with our
Legal Adviser we have come to the conclusion that there is
little to be gained from renewing our protest to the
Chinese about the confiscation, since the only clear ground
of protest we have is the absence of a proper trial and we
are unwilling to rely on this alone.
3. It appears highly probable that Mrs. Martin's property
will also be declared forfeit on even flimsier charges: the
Consular Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs have
promised a speedy resolution of this issue (Peking telegram
No. 330, paragraph 5). At the same interview Mr. Davies
indicated Mrs. Kartin's particular concern for her jewellery
and at the second interview (Peking telegram No. 444) asked
whether Mr. McBain's medals could be returned.
£4.
Assuming that Mrs. Martin's property is to be officially
confiscated it seems to me reasonable for us to draw a
CONFIDENTIAL
/ distinction
CONFIDENTIAL
Yes.vce. MN.
FLAG.C
distinction between the confiscation, however unjustified,
of goods and chattels on the one hand and the unprincipled
retention of personal jewellery before notifying the con-
fiscation on the other. The former has allegedly been
sanctioned by law: the latter smacks of petty theft.
Chinese may not accept this distinction but Fr. Kuan's
willingness to listen to Mr. Davies' request and to pass
it on to Shanghai is encouraging.
There is no reason,
therefore, not to take the matter a stage further, and I
have suggested to Peking that they raise the matter
(telegram No. 253 attached.).
The
SALMogen
(J. A. L. Morgan)
1 July, 1970
The matters appears to the wall in hand.
Thank
you. The
2. Om procedure the Depot have
not
gor. mach to be
proud 17! My minute is diled 1875. Mr Roberts does something
about at
15% Drawing attention to two telegons which
if he looked at the dich ribution
Hat I could not have can
CONFIDENTIAL
he would have
realiant
I should be grateful if
You would draw his attenti & this minté
об накид
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'Files' a 'Depts "Drähntation Muz
Your Dept about 'Files' a 'Depts Distribution
(PSC 14/1)
CONFIDENTIAL
(76
Far Eastern Department
2
July, 1970 3/vi
Uza. Martin's Property
Mrs. Martin herself came in to see us yesterday just after our telegram
Xo. 253 to you had been despatched. She displayed that buoyant style we
had come to expect from reading the accounts by Howells and Michael
Wilford. She chatted happily to Ian Stevenson about the old days in
Shanghai.
their
2. Te had asked her whether she could let us have an inventory of the
mere important item of her property in Shanghai, and she duly brought us
one. I enclose a typed copy. You will no doubt be struck, as were wo, by
the inclusion of many Chinese items, and we gently pointed out to her
that even had she left China in the most favourable circumstances it is
highly unlikely that she would have been allowed to export these
antiques. Whilst, therefore, we would on prinsiple be asking the Chinese
for the return of all her possessions, in the event of their rejecting
thispproposal we asked her if she would agree to our narrowing down our
request to those items (e.g. the English paintings) in which the Chinese
could have no interest? When she agreed, we took her a stage further and
asked whether, if need be and if the choles arose, she would be prepared
to see us patting more emphasis on the retrieval of har personal
jewellery, in particular that taken from her on arrest, even if this
were te detract from our more general approsch, Again, she agreed.
3. We would therefore add the following gloss te paragraph 2 of our
telegram No. 253. It seems most unlikely that the Chinese will rescind
their verbal sentence of confiscation of Era. Martin's property (she
confirmed yesterday that she had been told that all her possessions were
confiscated and that the Chinese used this sentence to justify their
retention of her jewels) and that when the subject is next raised the
Consular Department say formally confirm that such a sentence was passed
according to the legal process. Although, then, we would like to get our
word in before this happens, it may be that we shall be fereed to adopt
the more defensive approach from grounds of "humanitarian
consideration", thus putting Mrs. Martin's case on a par with Walain's.
If this
H. Ll. Davios, Esq.,
PEKING,
CONFIDI
/were
CONFIDENTIAL
were inevitable, Hru, Martin would not find it too unpalatable, whilst
we would regard it as a bonus (and I said as much to Jansen, Mrs.
Kartin's nephew) if the Chinese were prepared to part with a single
stens,
to:
C. J. Howells, Esq., Tond Rols
(P. J. Roberts)
[
[
(F18281) DL. 391599 1,300u 2/69 H".
NOTHING TO BE WRITTEN IN THIS MARGIN
FEZ
Registry 14/1
No.
JURITY CLASSIFICATION
Top Secret.
Safet
Confidential.
Restpcted.
Undasutied,
PRIVACY MARKING
...............------------- IT---------
DRAFT
lelte
Type 1 +
+
To:-
Hill.
H. Ll. Davies Esq
દર્
PEKING
In Confidence
ce.
From
Telephone No. & Ext.
Department
W
Howells, Hongkong
Mrs. Martin's Property
Mrs Martin herself
yotarday
see no just after an
253
L
had been
telegram us.
respatched. She
displayed that buoyant style we had
accounts by
expect from reading the
Howells and Michael
Wilford. She chatted happily
to lan
Stevensa about the old days
in Shanghai
2.
We had asked her whethe
She could let us have
kurmei
important
OLKA
items
1
inventory of the her propały in
Shanghai
,
and she duly brought
I enclose a
Strack
of many
typed copy.
and she.
no doubt
You will
as were we, by the inclusion
Chinese Jems
مسهل
Gently printed out to
and are
be
he that even
had she left
China in the most
favourande
walde circumstance
it is
highly unlikely that she would have
been allowed
to export
these
Whilst therefore, we would
antiques.
on
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.