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4. WHEN CONTACT EXPLAINED THIS TO CATER, CATER SAID THẤT KY
PREROGATIVE COULD BE USED ONLY III VERY SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES
BUCH AS RELEASE IF NEW EVIDENCE CAME TO LIGHT OR IF THE CONVICTED
MAN WAS SERIOUSLY ILL, BUT THAT AS HSUEH PING HAD ONLY ANOTHER FEM
IKS TO GO THE PRECEDENT MIGHT NOT BE TOO AUKUARO, AFTER FURTHER
DISCUSSION, CONTACT SAID THAT HE WOULD NOW WRITE AT ONCE TO CHOU EN LAI'S SECRETARY, WHO HE SAID WAS KNOWN AS 'SMALL LEUNG'',
ALONG THE LINES AGREED ON 17 SEPTEMBER, 1.E. ENQUIRING WHAT WAS
THE POSITION ON THIS MAIN OUTSTANDING PROBLEM FROM LAST YEAR, WITHOUT
SUGGESTING THAT THERE WOULD BE ANY COUNTERPART, CATER ALSO TOLD
HIM THAT IF LI PRESSED HIM FOR AN ANSWER ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY
OF AN EXCHANGE, CONTACT SHOULD SAY THAT HE HAD TAKEN UP THE MATTER
WITH CATER BUT THAT CATER HAD NOT BEEN VERY KEEN ON THE PROPOSAL
AND HAD SUGGESTED THAT THERE WERE CONSIDERABLE DIFFICULTIES IN
DOING A DEAL ON THOSE LINES, ALTHOUGH IT MIGHT JUST BE POSSIBLE
TO USE THE PREROGATIVE SINCE HSUCH PING'S TERM HAD NOT LONG TO GO.
HE COULD ALSO SAY TO LI THAT CATER WOULD BE THINKING THE MATTER
OVER AND WOULD SPEAK TO CONTACT ABOUT IT LATER,
FO PLEASE PASS PRIORITY PEKING.
SIR D.TRENCH
FILES H.K.D.
P.A.D.
[REPEATED AS REQUESTED]
[COFIES SENT TO SIR B.TREND, CABINET OFFICE AND SECRETARY
J.I.C.]
F.O. F.E.D.
SIR D.ALLEN
P.S. TO LORD SHEPHERD MR. BUTLER P.U.S.D.
MR. MASON
MR. ROB.
P.S.
DIS MOD
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