6 C.8. 41A
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2600078
30,000-4/65-847951
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COLONIAL SECRETARIAT
LOWER ALBERT ROAD
HONG KONG
34
convince the General that he needs four more battalions here! The 0.A.G., Colonial Secretary and I all agree that we wouldn't know what to do with all those troops, let alone find quarters for them and that their arrival would result in the creation of a new command structure etc. etc. Fortunately, to judge from a conversation which I was able to have with General Carver on 17th July here when I told him my views, he has reached the same conclusion!
4.
Another of the risks of having military on the border for any longer than necessary is the risk of helicopter over- flying incidents. The pilot of the helicopter referred to in Hong Kong telegram No. 1042 ought to have been shot (by us, I mean) for venturing so close in bad weather. We shall do our best to ram home the lesson, but I fear that we may well get a protest about the incident.
5.
By and large, however, we are pleased to see that the P.L.A. seem to have taken firm control of the border area on the Chinese side. It should mean more stability, we think, to judge from recent reports of their actions.
I am sending copies of this letter to Donald Hopson and Jock Given.
6.
Yours ever,
Michael Wilfor
(K.M. Wilford)\.
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