HWB 13/7
28 February, 1968
12
I am enclosing a copy of despatch No.239 of 13 February from the Governor of Hong Kong reporting on the principal developments in the Colony since June, 1967. We are arranging for the despatch to be printed.
We shall be glad to know if you have any comments for inclusion in our reply to the Governor. Our only comments at this stage are to observe that the despatch makes (somewhat predictably) rather a meal of devaluation and that paragraph 27 contains some information about the water supplies
from China which is news to us.
You spoke to me about your recent discussion with the Governor in Hong Kong and his fear that Ministers in charge of departments other than our own might think that the danger was past in Hong Kong. You suggested that he was looking for some assurance on this point. Our reply to this despatch is the peg on which we could hang that assurance and circulation of the two despatches in printed form will ensure wide currency
in Whitehall.
J. Murray, Esq., CHO.,
Far Eastern Department, Foreign Office.
(w.s. Carter)
LAST
REF.
REF.
19