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PRIORITY UK MISSION GENEVA TO FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE TELEGRAM NUMBER 535--
-8 OCTOBER 1969
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ADDSD TO F C O TEL NO 535 OF 8 OCTOBER REPTD FOR INFMN TO WASHINGTON, HONG KONG AND SAVING TO TOKYO AND OTTAWA.
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WASHINGTON TELEGRAM NUMBERS 2714 AND 2715 TO YOU: U.S.
TEXTILE IMPORTS.
RETIVO I
REGISTRY N:01 - 9 OCT 1969
AKK6/20/1
SUCH EVIDENCE AS WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO ASSEMBLE IN GENEVA SUPPORTS THE ASSESSMENT IN PARAGRAPH 2 OF WASHINGTON TELEGRAM NUMBER 2714. HOWEVER, I WOULD SUGGEST, AFTER DISCUSSION WITH THE U.K. DELEGATION TO THE CURRENT MEETING OF THE COTTON TEXTILES COMMITTEE, THAT ANY PERSONAL MESSAGE TO PRESIDENT NIXON SHOULD BE DEFERRED AT LEAST UNTIL THE OUTCOME OF THIS WEEK'S GATT DISCUSSIONS IS KNOWN AND WE HAVE THE AMERICANS' FIRST REACTIONS TO THE HONG KONG MESSAGE DELIVERED TODAY.
2. IT WAS CLEAR FROM TODAY'S OPENING MEETING THAT THE AMERICANS ARE GOING TO PLAY THINGS CAREFULLY HERE AND IT SEEMS MOST UN- LIKELY THAT THEY WILL BURN ANY BOATS YET. NOR IS THE SITUATION ENVISAGED IN PARAGRAPH 4 OF WASHINGTON TELEGRAM UNDER REFERENCE LIKELY TO ARISE IN THE IMMEDIATE FUTURE. THE PRESENT MEETING WILL COME TO NO CONCLUSIONS EITHER ABOUT THE CONTINUATION AFTER 1970 OF THE PRESENT COTTON ARRANGEMENT OR ABOUT ANY AMENDMENTS TO OR EXTENSIONS OF IT, AND WILL BE FOLLOWED BY MORE BILATERAL SKIRM- ISHINGS BEFORE FINAL POSITIONS ARE TAKEN UP. THE BATTLE IN THE GATT WILL PROBABLY NOT BE RESUMED BEFORE DECEMBER OR JANUARY.
3. IF AND WHEN A DECISION TO SEND A PERSONAL MESSAGE IS TAKEN, I SHOULD LIKE TO HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY OF COMMENTING ON THE TEXT.
I WOULD ONLY MAKE TWO POINTS AT THIS STAGE ON THE DRAFT IN WASHINGTON TELEGRAM NUMBER 2715. FIRST, THE PENULTIMATE SENTENCE OF THE FINAL PARAGRAPH IS NOT CORRECT. WE HAVE NOT INDICATED IN
THE GAT T, AND ARE VERY UNLIKELY TO DO SO AT THE PRESENT MEETING, THAT WE WOULD BE READY FOR ANY SUCH GENERAL DISCUSSION. SECOND, ON THE FINAL SENTENCE, WE HAVE NOT YET TAKEN A POSITION ON
WHETHER WE SHOULD TRY TO PUSH THE AMERICANS INTO ACCEPTING LIMITED
SELECTIVE RESTRAINT ARRANGEMENTS AS A WAY OUT OF THEIR PROBLEMS.
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/ADVANCE