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4. AS REGARDS THE IMMEDIATE PROBLEM OF HOW MRS GREY SHOULD BE
ADVISED TO REPLY TO GREY, WE SUGGEST IT SHOULD BE ALONG THE
FOLLOWING LINES:
QUOTE TEN OF THE ELEVEN REMAINING NEWSWORKERS ARE DUE OUT, IF THEY BEHAVE, WITH FULL REMISSION IN SEPTEMBER 1969. UNFORTUNATELY THE
ELEVENTH IS NOT DUE OUT WITH FULL REMISSION UNTIL FEBRUARY 1971.
BUT WE WOULD ALL HOPE THAT THE PROBLEM WOULD BE RESOLVED LONG
BEFORE THEN. UNQUOTE.
5. DO YOU AGREE? IF SO, WE WOULD TAKE REUTERS GENERALLY INTO OUR
CONFIDENCE WITHOUT OF COURSE GOING INTO DETAILS AND LEAVE IT TO
THEM TO PERSUADE MRS GREY TO ACCEPT THIS FORMULATION, FOR THE MOMENT,
REUTERS HAVE PERSUADED MRS GREY NOT TO GIVE PUBLICITY TO THE
CONTENTS OF THE LETTER REFERRED TO IN PARAGRAPH 1s
6. WE REALISE THAT IF THE CHINESE DECAME AWARE OF AN INTENTION ON
OUR PART TO COMMUTE THE SENTENCE OF THE ELEVENTH NEWSWORKER IN
SEPTEMBER, THEY MIGHT BE ENCOURAGED TO HANG ON TO GREY UNTIL THEN
BUT WE DOUBT WHETHER THE CHINESE WOULD BE ABLE TO DEDUCE SUCH AN
INTENTION FROM THE FORM OF WORDS SUGGESTED ABOVE.
ON THE OTHER HAND, WE HOPE THAT GREY WILL NOT FIND THE FORMULATION
TOO DISCOURAGING.
STEWART.
FILES
FAR EASTERN DEPT.
HONG KONG DEPT.
MR. MORETON
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