<TABLE>
<S> <C>
John Hancock Special Equities Fund dated 3/1/97 John Hancock Sovereign U.S. Government
John Hancock World Bond Fund dated 3/1/97 Income Fund dated 3/1/97
John Hancock Strategic Income Fund dated 3/1/97 John Hancock Massachusetts Tax-Free
John Hancock Tax Free Bond Fund dated 1/1/97 Income Fund dated 1/1/97
John Hancock Pacific Basin Equities Fund John Hancock New York Tax-Free Income Fund
dated 3/1/97 dated 1/1/97
John Hancock Global Marketplace Fund John Hancock Disciplined Growth Fund
dated 3/1/97 dated 3/1/97
John Hancock Global Rx Fund dated 3/1/97 John Hancock Financial Industries Fund
John Hancock Emerging Growth Fund dated 3/1/97 dated 3/1/97
John Hancock Global Fund dated 3/1/97 John Hancock Regional Bank Fund dated 3/1/97
John Hancock Growth Fund dated 3/1/97 John Hancock Discovery Fund dated 3/1/97
John Hancock Global Technology Fund John Hancock Government Income Fund
dated 3/1/97 dated 3/1/97
John Hancock Short-Term Strategic Income Fund John Hancock High Yield Bond Fund
dated 3/1/97 dated 3/1/97
John Hancock Special Opportunities Fund John Hancock Intermediate Maturity
dated 3/1/97 Government Fund dated 3/1/97
John Hancock California Tax-Fee Income Fund John Hancock High Yield Tax-Free Fund
dated 1/1/97 dated 1/1/97
John Hancock International Fund dated 3/1/97
</TABLE>
Supplement to Statement of Additional Information
The "Distribution Contracts" section is supplemented as follows:
John Hancock Funds, Inc. may pay extra compensation to financial services firms
selling large amounts of fund shares. This compensation may be calculated as a
percentage of fund shares sold by the firm.
5/20/97
MFSAI 5/97