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AND PUBLICITY PRESSURE OVER GREY. WE WILL THUS AT LEAST HAVE IMDI-
TED TO SOME DEGREE THAT WE ARE NOT READILY SUSCEPTIBLE TO PRETALIATORY ACTION WHICH IS AN IMPORTANT POINT TO UPHOLD WE
LONG TERM.
4. IF THEY DID NOT RESPOND, HOWEVER, I WOULD THEN BE PREPARED TO SUGGEST TO THEM (USING THE SAME CHANNELS IN PARAGRAPH 6 BELOW) THAT WE WERE READY TO RELEASE LO IN THE VERY WEAR FUTURE, IF THEY FOR THEIR PART WERE PREPARED TO RELEASE GREY. I WOULD BE PREPARED 70 DO THIS IN EITHER OF THE SITUATIONS IN YOUR PARAGRAPH 2(A) AND (B), 5. BUT IF YOU CONSIDER THAT SOMETHING MORE THAN A PUBLICITY CAMPAIGN IS UNAVOIDABLE BEFORE NOVEMBER, I WOULD BE PREPARED TO ACCEPT WHAT I REGARD AS THE SECOND BEST COURSE OF ACTION, 1.E. TO ENTER INTO SECRET DISCUSSIONS FAIRLY SOON WITH THE CHINESE AND TRY TO BARGAIN THE RELEASE OF HSUEH AND IF NECESSARY LO FOR THE RELEASE OF GREY, I REALISE THIS COULD NOT BE DISCLOSED AND MIGHT THEREFORE NOT HELP MUCH TO RELIEVE THE PRESSURE FOR ACTIONS BUT IT COULD AT LEAST BE SAID IN CONFIDENCE THAT SOMETHING WAS
BEING DONE.
6. I CONSIDER THAT IF WE WERE TO ENTER INTO SUCH A DISCUSSION IT SHOULD BE STARTED THROUGH CATER AND HIS CONTACT (MY TELEGRAM NO. 996). CATER COULD SAY THAT HE WAS ACTING ON HIS OWN INITIATIVE, BUT BELIEVED THAT HE MIGHT BE ABLE TO OBTAIN MY APPROVAL FOR THE EARLY RELEASE OF HSUEH IF THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT WERE PREPARED TO RELEASE GREY, HE COULD SAY THAT THIS OFFER WAS BEING MADE IN THE LIGHT OF PEKING'S APPARENT DESIRE TO IMPROVE RELATIONS,
AND THAT HE WAS PREPARED TO SEEK OFFICIAL REACTIONS TO HIS SUGGESTION
OILY IF HIS CONTACT COULD PRODUCE SOME REASONABLE ASSURANCE THAT
GREY WOULD BE RELEASED.
7. THIS OFFER WOULD NO DOUBT, AFTER A CERTAIN DELAY, PRODUCE EITHER A CRYPTIC RESPONSE (WHOSE INTENTION WE WOULD HAVE TO ASSESS AS BEST WE COULD OR ASK FOR FURTHER ELUCIDATION), OR NO RESPONSE, OR A DEMAND FOR MORE. IF THE LAST, CATER COULD THEN REPLY BY SAYING THAT HE WAS PREPARED TO SUGGEST THAT LO TOO SHOULD BE RELEASED AT
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