SECRET
F.O. AND C.0. TELEGRAM GUIDANCE NO. 91
sach
12-
3. IF ASKED ABOUT THE FUTURE OF THE GURKHAS, YOU SHOULD SAY THAT THERE ARE NOW 14,500 OF THEM. AS MR HEALEY ANNOUNCED ON 7 DECEMBER, THEY WILL BE RUN DOWN TO 10,000 OVER THE NEXT TWO YEARS. ALTHOUGH NO DECISION HAS BEEN TAKEN, CHANGING CIRCUMSTANCES MAY, OF COURSE, AS MR HEALEY SUGGESTED IN HIS ANNOUNCEMENT, MAKE IT NECESSARY AT SOME FUTURE DATE TO REDUCE THE GURKHAS BELOW THAT STRENGTH.
4. IF ASKED ABOUT THE EFFECT OF REDUCTIONS ON OUR SEATO OR OTHER COMMITMENTS IN THE AREA, YOU SHOULD SAY THAT, AS NO DECISIONS HAVE YET BEEN TAKEN, THIS IS NATURALLY SOMETHING ON WHICH YOU CANNOT COMMENT. YOU MAY THEN QUOTE FROM THE LAST SENTENCE OF GUIDANCE NUMBER 82.
SOSFA/CROSEC
SENT 0420Z 29 APRIL, 1967
BY TELEGRAPH:
ANKARA BONN
COPENHAGEN
THE HAGUE
OSLO
PARIS
ROME
DJAKARTA
HONG KONG (POL.AD.)
MANILA
PEKING
PHNOM PENH
RANGOON
SAIGON
OTTAWA CANBERRA WELLINGTON
NEW DELHI RAWALPINDI
COLOMBO
KUALA LUMPUR
SINGAPORE
TOKYO
SINGAPORE (POL.AD.) VIENTIANE
[ALL PRIORITY]
U.K.MIS NEW YORK SEOUL
WASHINGTON
BANGKOK
DEPARTMENTAL DISTRIBUTION
F.O. D.D. & P.U.S.D.
C.O.
S.E.A.D.
F.E.D.
WESTERN DEPT
NEWS DEPT
W.O.C.D.
J.I.P.G.D.
DEFENCE DEPT
F.E. & P.D.
NEWS DEPT
SECRET
SENT TO HONG KONG AS COMMONWEALTH OFFICE (D.T.D.)
TELEGRAM NO.
816.