CONFIDENTIAL
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Cypher/Cat A
57
PRIORITY HONG KONG
то
COMMONWEALTH OFFICE (D.T.D.)
Teino 1299
24 August 1967
CONFIDENTIAL
Addressed to Tokyo telegram No. 53 of 24 August, Repeated for information to Commonwealth Office.
Crowson's letter of 18 August to Elliott: Water Supplies.
Recent heavy rain has more than doubled our storage to 15,500 million gallons, over 90 per cent of old reservoir capacity. New 30,000 million gallon capacity Plover Cove reservoir is also filling up steadily. We have therefore no immediate worries about water supply, and we shall not now need to import water during coming winter even if no water is received from China.
2. We intend, however, to complete feasibility study referred to in my telegram No. 40 largely because seconded tanker operations expert is available only to 1 October. Report would then be available if a future drought made it necessary to consider importation.
3.
Grateful therefore if you would pursue inquiries suggested in paragraph 3 of Crowson's letter to obtain, if possible, information detailed in paragraph 5 of my telegram No. 40. Suggest contacting Shell as well as B.P.
40 Please use freely with contacts information in paragraphs 1 and 2 to counter any impression that we are in such dire straits that we must import water to survive.
Foreign Office please pass Priority to Tokyo.
0.A.G.
SENT 0552Z 24 August
RECD 0552Z 24 August
[Repeated as requested]
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CONFIDENTIAL