CONFIDENTIAL
2.
3. I AGREE THAT 'ENTERPRISE
HAS BECOME SOMETHING OF A SYMBOL OF
AMERICAN POWER, BUT SHE HAS BEEN HERE BEFORE AND I DO NOT SEE WHY
THE CHINESE SHOULD REGARD ANOTHER VISIT AS UNDULY PROVOCATIVE. IF THEY WERE LOOKING FOR A PRETEXT TO TRY TO REVIVE LAST YEAR'S DISTURBANCES THEY WOULD SURELY CHOOSE AN ISSUE WHICH WAS MORE
DIRECTLY RELEVANT TO THE INTERNAL AFFAIRS OF THE COLONY. IF WE WERE NOW TO CANCEL THE VISIT, THE CHINESE WOULD CERTAINLY GET TO KNOW
THAT WE HAD DONE SO AND WOULD BE ENCOURAGED TO THINK THAT THEY COULD VETO FUTURE VISITS WHENEVER IT SUITED THEM.
4. I AM VERY RELUCTANT TO RECOMMEND ANY COURSE WHICH MIGHT LEAD
TO FURTHER PRESSURE ON THE MISSION IN PEKING, BUT I CONSIDER ON BALANCE THAT WE SHOULD NOT CREPEAT NOT) CANCEL THE 'ENTERPRISE
VISIT AT THIS LATE STAGE. BUT WE MUST CLEARLY ENSURE THAT THE GUIDELINES FOR US SHIP VISITS ARE STRICTLY OBSERVED AND FOR
THIS REASON WE HAVE TURNED DOWN A REQUEST FOR CLEARANCE FOR A VISIT BY THE USS 'IWO JIMA' WHICH WOULD HAVE OVERLAPPED WITH 'ENTERPRISE'
BY ONE DAY.
PEKING
CO PLEASE PASS IMMEDIATE PEKING 235, AND PRIORITY WASHINGTON 60.
SIR D. TRENCH
[REPEATED AS REQUESTED]
SHINGTON
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