Mr. de la Mere
MACAO
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A+ Coin (CO)
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The Portuguese Amb-saador called on Mr. Hohler at the
latter's request at 11.00 e.m. today.
Za X
Mr. Hobler spoke to him on the lines of paragraphs 2 and 3
of Commonwealth Office telegram No.108 to Hong Long of 17 January.
Mr. Hohler also raised the point in paragraph 4 of liong Kong
telegram No. 71 of 17 January about the need to make a press
announcerent before starting to make physical arrangements in
Hong Kong to receive the evacu-es.
B
On the latter point, the Abassador said that any public
announcement would almost certainly precipitate action by the
Chinese, who might then take steps to prevent the refugees
leaving Macao. He thought that we should try to avoid making
any public announcement tint the Portuguese had requested us to
make transit facilities available. He thought that it should be
possible to make discrent preparttions without keeping to a rigid
timetable and without revealing that the Portuguese had asked
for our help. If the press made enquiries, they could be told
that the Hong Kong authorities were taking these measures because
some refugees had already arrived from Maceɑ and it was only
prudent to be ready to receive any more who might come.
Wh
Mr. Hohler commented that such action by the Hong Kong
authorities might in itself suggest to the Chinese that we had
no confidence that the Portuguese were going to stay in Macau.
There was 1so the question of the extent of the arrangements to
be made. If these were to provide accommodation, bedding, food
and so on for up to 2,000 people, this would reveal that the
Hong Kong authorities had in mind a fairly massive refugee
problem. The local contractors would have to be told in order
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