Hongkong Defensible Says English Newsman

Northern Advocate, 19 May 1949, Page 3

Hongkong Defensible Says English Newsman

AUCKLAND, Thu., (Sp.).—To defeat the Communists it was necessary to raise the moral of the Chinese, who were being terrorised, said Mr William Aitken, general manager of the London Daily Express news and feature service and a nephew of Lord Beaverbrook.

Mr Aitken arrived in Auckland last night after a tour of the Far East. Commonwealth action would put a stop to the Communist campaign of terrorism in Malaya, he said. If the British Government made up its mind to hold Hongkong it would certainly be held, said Mr Aitken. The authoritative opinion there was that Hongkong was defensible. First of all, Britain was not at war with' China or the Communists, and to take Hongkong, sea and very substantial air power, both of which the Communists lacked, were required. OPTIMISTIC

In Shanghai the outlook of the British residents was cautiously optimistic, said Mr Aitken. They had had long experience in dealing with the Chinese.

The general view was that Shanghai was necesary to China, being a great port of entry, a great financial centre and a very big dollar earner. Already there were some indications that the Communist leaders would probably treat the foreign business community with a good deal of circumspection in their own interests. Internally, Shanghai was in a deplorable state because of inflation. Practically all public utilities were finding it impossible to carry on owing to the demands.of the workers to be paid in foreign currency. The short-term hazard for foreigners in the city was the interval between the time the existing regime went and the new leaders took over, over. STEADY AS ROCK Mr Aitken said the British in Hongkong and Shanghai were as steady as a rook and there was no sign of panic. Mr Aitken will be a Con; ervaitve candidate for Parliament at the next general election. He said he did not wish to* discuss British politics.

He would follow Ihe example of his lender, Mr Winston Churchill, who said he never criticised His Majesty’s Government outside England and would never stop doing it inside England.

After about five days in New Zealand, Mr Aitken will leave for England, returning by way of the United States.