2
+
G.
H.
It was generally believed that the Colony was quite unstable politically
and socially in a manner similar to Vietnam or iden. The press, radio
and television
reporting in U.K. of the events last May/June and sub
sequently was, in their opinion, sensational and highly
misloading. They had the impression that the majority
of the population were involved in anti-British political
agitation and the reports had served to confirm vague
ideas already hold. They were not aware of any signi-
ficant or offcctive counter-campaign on Hong Kong's
behalf.
The recent article in the Daily Mirror was sighted and
lead them to believe the stories of 'sweated labour' and
general poverty. Also they believed that no kind of
health organization existed, let alone a properly
controlled Public Health Authority. One experienced
member of the group said that, if he had not visited
Hong Kong, he would not have believed a report that, a
Cholera epidemic resulted in only 120 odd cases and
14 deaths.
They were sure Hong Kong had a great interest for con-
ventioneers and an excellent potential for convention
and similar business. It was significant that they
already considered Japan to be one of the most important
centres for International moetings. In this connection
they particularly stressed Japan's success in changing
her image in Europe by a concorted PR and publicity
campaign. She was now recognised as a producer of
quality goods and an innovatcr in design and miniatur-
isation. They could not understand why Hong Kong had
not waged a similar PR and publicity campaign at least
in U.K., if not in the rest of Europe.
/-3-
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- 3-
The seven agents concerned are experienced
travel industry leaders. Last year between them they
produced £8,000,000 of business for one airline alone
(EOAC): With their fundamental interest in overseas areas,
their opinion of Hong Kong's image in U.K. is significant.
EN D
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LAST
Mr. Hax
You will
Reference.
84
打
(2)
|
Lord Hill at
on Tong Tong.
recall ir vid Trench's letter to
75 about a B.3.3. television programme
It was agreed between Sir Arthur Gulsworthy and Sir John Johnston at
(75) and (76) that a follow-up letter should be prepared for signature
of Lord Chepherd or the Secretary of State.
2.
We have found this by no means an easy task. Cur first draft was about
to be sibmitted, when Lord Hill's reply to the Governor (flugge was
received; our further draft below tukes account
of this.
3. It is the slant and balance rather than the Factual accuracy of the
pro ramme in question that the Governor criticises. The same has to a
considerable extent been the fault in B.B.C. radio reporting. I cannot
now give chapter nd verse for any past excesses. Nor can we identify the
"notable occasion" to which Sir A. Galsworthy refers in paragraph 4 of
his minute (although I recall an occasion "hen the midday edition of the
Evening Standard bore a headline "ight of terror in Hong Kong" which
bore no relation whatsoever to the contents of the report tit follored
or to the official reports in telegrams received that morning in London
covering the events of the night in question). The failing of the
B.B.C's. radio broadcasts has been the inclusion of reports hot from
Hong Kong sometimes inaccurate or exaggerated and
more often given a significance which they did not possess. On this
aspect I think the Hong Kong Associ tion struck the ri ht note in the
represent: tions they have made to the B.3.0, as reported at X of 'r.
Collar's letter flagged K.
4. As mentioned above, the Ton Tong Association has entered the lists in
support of the Gov nor (they have a copy of his lette, although their
initiative was independently insired), led by Mr. Keswick who until
recently was a member of the B.B.C. General Advisory Council. I feel
that a Minister must also lend the Governor support, particularly since
Lord Hill's reply is so unhelpful. I have drafted for the signature of
Lord Chepherd
who has already crossed swords with officials of
the B.B.).
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the B.B.C. But it seems to me advisable that our intervention should now
be as speedy as possible and that if Lord Shepherd's return is unduly
delayed, we should consider whether the letter should issue from
the Secretary of State.
8 March, 1968
Sir Anthon foleanthy.
4.5 Carter
(W.S. Carter)
LAUGH
11/3
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1
Registry No.
DRAFT LETTER
SECURITY CLASSIFICATION
To:-
Top Secret.
Secret.
Confidential.
Restricted.
Unclassified.
PRIVACY MARKING
Copy to:
---In Confidence
Sir David Trench
The Right Hon.
Lord Hill of Luton, Chairman,
British Broadcasting Corporation, Broadcasting House, London, W. 1.
Type 1+ 3
From
Lord Shepherd
Telephone No. & Brt.
Department
May I invite your attention to the
exchange of letters between the Governor of Hong Kong (Sir David Trench)
and yourself,
concerning the B.B.C's. television programme
on 9 January about Hong Kong.
On receipt of my copy of the Governor's
letter to you of 8 February, I studied the
transcript of the programme in question and
found myself in wholehearted agreement with the
comments contained in that letter, both as
regards the content of the programme and the
manner in which it was presented. I have
since received a copy of your reply to the
Governor which, in my view, makes very little
attempt to answer his strictures.
That he
The first point I would like to make is
that Sir David Trench is essentially a liberal
man and a liberal Governor and is not one to
resent or to be afraid of criticism.
should have written to you in this manner is
an indication of the strength of his feeling on
the subject. I really do not see why busy
people who carry a very heavy burden of
responsibility, and Sir David certainly comes within this category,
should be expected to
give up their valuable time to help in the
compilation of programmes of this kind if their
efforts to co-operate are to be treated in
this cavalier manner.
Although I did not see
14.
W(B)L 51-7433
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the programme myself, reading the transcript
gives one the impression that not only did the
programme give an entirely false picture of
Hong Kong and put both the Hong Kong Government
and the British Government in the worst possible
light, but must also have given the Chinese
ission in Fortland Place and their sympathiser
This view is shared by
much satisfaction.
others who did watch the programme in question.
To suggest, as Ir. Pettifer did in his
opening remarks that "money poured out of the
Colony" in those difficult weeks in the middle of 1967 is quite false
(unsubstantiated reports
of this mature were circulating at the time,
fostered by those in Singapore and Taiwan who hoped to benefit from
any flight of funds from
!ong Kong).
There was undoubtedly some move-
ment of funds out of the Colony;
it would be
surprising if it were otherwise, considering the amount of "hot" money
Hong Kong attracts.
But
while total bank deposits fell by 12% during the
period May - July 1967, much of this was due to
the Chinese preference to hold their money
themselves in time of uncertainty and little
of the reduction represented an outflow of
And to imply, as he capital from the Colony. did later, that the support
of the people for the Hong Kong Government was due not to sentiment and
loyalty but entirely to material self-interest (an imputation supported
by the
highly contentious statement that they were afraid of losing "the
rewards of a decade of struggle") ignores altogether the fact that more
than a million of the Colony's population
/ are
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!
C
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( The underlining mine).
are refugees from communism who "voted with their feet" for the kind of
life they can live
in Hong Kong.
Mr. Pettifer seems incapable of paying any tribute to those in authority
without turning
it into a backhander by the inclusion of some
sour qualification, Take his statement: "almost everyone for a change
had a good word to say for the police, and British officials
congratulated themselves on weathering the
storm." There is another and later reference by Mr. Pettifer to
"self-congratulation in
official circles" which he describes as
'euphoria". It is a pity that he should
sly denigration"
indulge in this sort of serversion.
Among
officials and the general public in Hong Kong
there is understandably considerable relief
(and as Mr. Davies remarked, some reason for self-satisfaction) that the
communist campaign
of violence has been successfully overcome.
But there are no illusions in any quarter as
to the nature of the continuing communist
threat that lies ahead.
I have already aired my views on the
standard of B.B.C. reporting on Hong Kong to
members of the staff of the Corporation.
I
did this at a press conference I gave after my
return from Hong Kong in October when I had
fresh in my mind the inaccuracy and exaggera-
tion of reports (including B.B.C. reports),
particularly on incidents in the border area.
It is difficult for me now to quote chapter
and verse in support of this criticism but I
know that my views were shared by others, both
I do in this country and in Hong Kong.
/appreciate..
I
1
t
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[
1
<
*
appreciate that if reports are to remain
newsworthy they must be issued quickly, often
before their accuracy can be verified or
corroborated or their significance appraised,
and that because of this need for speed,
inaccuratic
Some
uice-reberated reports are an occasional and
inevitable hazard. These considerations do
not, however, apply in the case of a programme
such as the one now under consideration.
journalistic licence we must allow, but I do
not consider that this licence should be
carried to the point of giving a totally
misleading impression of a situation to those
who are not in a position to question what they
are told. For example, Mr. Pettifer said
that "a few weeks ago, hundreds of bombs were
being scattered throughout the Colony every
day". The maximum number of bomb incidents
in any one week throughout the period
11 May, 1967 to the end of February, 1968, was
1,044.
This would give a daily average of
149 incidents during the week in question,
were it not for the fact that, out of the total
of 1,044 incidents, 818 were due either to
false alarms or to hoax bombs. This reduces
the daily tally to 32 genuine bomb incidents
: during the week in question:
and throughout
the whole period of the disturbances, the
:
daily average of genuine bomb incidents was
five or six. Faphene this remark of
r. Pettifer's is what you had in mind when you
said in your reply the Gov nor that
"we have all been given a vivid idea of your
situation and the complications of life in Long Trong "
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I must stress the point that the Governor
made in the penultimate paragraph of his letter
about how much there is at stake in Hong Kong
at the present time.
Situated as the Colony
is on the borders of China, a powerful and
unfriendly neighbour, the Colony's confidence
in its own continuing existence is vital, but
because of the Colony's exposed position that
confidence is inevitably a somewhat delicate
plant. It depends substantially on the
knowledge that we in this country will support
and sustain the Colony. I and my Ministerial
colleagues have been at pains in recent months
to stress that .. Government will do just this.
It does not help that from this country there
has issued from the press and other mass
communication media, a steady volume of ill-
informed critical comment and misrepresentation
of events and conditions in the Colony which
is interpreted locally as evidence, not merely
of a lack of sympathy or understanding here,
but of a lack of support.
I have heard it said
in Hong Kong that they sometimes wonder who and
where their enemies are!
views.
I have mentioned that others share my
Indeed, I understand that certain of
your officials have recently had a meeting with
members of the Committee of the Hong Kong Association at which the
latter made represen-
tations on this very subject.
I trust that
the combined effect of the Governor's letter,
the representations referred to above and
/this
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this letter will serve to convince you that the
B.B.C's. reporting on events in Hong Kong over
the past few months has been considerably less
than fair and objective and leaves plenty of
room for improvement.
I am sending a copy of this letter to
Sir David Trench.
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о
(002+) PA 558ZE "PO
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W(B)L 51-7433
I
NOTHING TO BE WRITTEN IN THIS MARGIN
Registry No.
DRAFT LETTER
SECURITY CLASSIFICATION
To:-
Top Secret,
Secret.
Confidential,
Restricted.
Unclassified.
PRIVACY MARKING
In Confidence
oopy to:
Sir David Trench,
H.M. Governor, Hong Kong.
The Rt. Hon. Lord Hill of Luton Chairman,
British Broadcasting Corpn., Broadcasting House,
London, W.1.
revved draft-
FOR SIGNATURK BY LORD SHEPHERD
See
Type 1+3
From
Mr. Gaminara 5/3
Telephone No. & Ext.
Department
May I invite your attention to the exchange of
letters between the Governor of Hong Kong
Sir David Trench) and yourself, concerning the B.B.C.'S
television programme on 9th January about Hong Kong.
On receipt of my copy of the Governor's letter
to you of 8th February, I studied the transcript of the programme in
question and found myself in wholehearted
Comments agreement with the staletur contained in the that
Governante letter, both as regards the content of the
programme and the manner in which it was presented.
I have since received a copy of your reply to the
Governor which, in my view, makes very little attempt
Strictures
to answer his or
I am afraid that I cannot
stand by and see the very cogent
brushed acide
cortices of the
Governor treated in what appears to me to be an
extremely offhand manner.
The first point I would like to make is that
Sir David Trench is essentially a liberal man and a
liberal Governor and is not one to resent or to be
afraid of criticism.
That he should have written
to you in this manner is an indication of the strength
of his feeling on the subject. I really do not see
why busy people who carry a very heavy burden of
responsibility, and Sir David certainly comes within
this category, should be expected to give up their
valuable time to help in the compilation of programmes
of this kind if their efforts to co-operate are to be
/treated
I
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E
E
៥
ון
treated in this cavalier manner.
Although I did not see
the programme myself, reading the transcript gives one
the impression that not only did the programme give an
entirely false picture of Hong Kong and put both the
Hong Kong Government and the British Government in the
worst possible light, but must also have given the
cind theri Sympathvars Chinese Mission in Portland Place/mu
much satisfaction.
Indeed, one might be forgiven for having the impression
that the programme was designed to this end This view
is shared by others who did watch the programme in
question.
Taken mix-x
be one who likes
On p. 2 of frerions
'draft.
indulge in the practice of continual sniping at those
in authority (currently a very popular pastime,
them solvi
particularly amongst those who carry little or no
responsibility).
For example, he stated quite cate-
Exponent but
gorically that the support of the people for the Hong
not to any since of Leyalty, to the Crowne
Quee
Kong Government was due entirely to material self-
interest (an assertion supported by the highly contentious
statement that the people were afraid of losing "the
rewards of a decade of struggle"). This allegation
ignores altogether the fact that more than a million of
the Colony's population are refugees from communism who
"voted with their feet" for the kind of life they can
take his Live in Hong Kong.Again, Mr, Pettiferie statement:
"almost everyone for a change had a good word to say
N
for the police, and British officials congratulated
M.PH Mr. Pellyfer seama inicanable themselves on weathering the storm
The wards under-
paying any Fribirte to those in authority lined indicate his apparent
inability to pay any sort
of compliment te officialdom without turning it into a
Sour backhander
by the inclusion of some see of qualification
There is another and later reference by Mr. Pettifer
to "self-congratulation in official circles" which he
describes as "euphoria".
he
It is a pity that the chip City
en Mr. Pettifer*s/should is his to indulge in this
/sort
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Dd. 32855 Ed (4200)
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1
perversion
of Benark. Among officials and the general public in Hong Kong there is
understandably considerable
relief (and as Mr. Davies remarked, some reason for
self-satisfaction) that the communist campaign of
has
violence have been successfully overcome.
are no állusions in
any quarter
aturt
But there
as to the nature of the
continuing communist threat that lies ahead.
I have already aired my views on the standard of B.B.C. reporting... on
Hong Kong to members of the staff
of the Corporation. I did this at a press conference
It is
I gave after my return from Hong Kong in October
when I had fresh in my mind the inaccuracy and
exaggeration of reports (including B.B.C. reports)
particularly on incidents in the border area.
difficult for me now to quote chapter and verse in
support of this criticism but I know that my views
were shared by others, both in this country and in
Hong Kong. I do appreciate that if reports are to
remain newsworthy they must be issued quickly, often
before their accuracy can be verified or corroborated
their Semetreener
or very significantly appraised, and that because of
this need for speed uncorroborated reports are an
occasional and inevitably hazard. These considera-
tions do not, however, apply in the case of a programme
such as the one now under consideration.
Some
journalistic licente we must allow, but I do not
consider that this license should be carried to the point
of giving a totally misleading impression of a situation
to those who are not in a position to question what they Live tok
hazr. For example, Mr. Pettifer said that "a few
weeks ago, hundreds of bombs were being scattered
throughout the Colony every day". The maximum
number of bomb incidents in any one week throughout
I
/the
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the period 11th May 1967 to the end of February, 1968,
was 1,044. This would give a daily average of 149
incidents during the week in question Here it not for
1044
the fact that out of the total of incidents, 818 were
due either to false alarus or to hoax bombs. This
reduces the daily tally to 32 genuine bomb incidents
during the week in question: and throughout the whole
period of the disturbances, the daily average of genuine bomb incidents
was five or six. Perhaps this remark
of Mr. Pettifers is what you had in mind when you said
in your reply to the Governor that "we have all been
given a vivid idea of your situation and the complications
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.