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2. MACPHERSON SAID THAT THE CANADIANS FOUND IT HARD TO UNDER-
STAND WHY YOU HAD NOW REJECTED 19 AUGUST, WHICH WAS THE
DAE YOU HAD YOURSELF PROPOSED. IT WOULD BE QUITE IMPOSSIBLE
FOR HOWARTH TO COME TO HONG KONG ON 12 AUGUST AS THAT WAS THE
DAY ON WHICH HE RETURNED FROM LEAVE. THE CANADIANS WERE ALSO IN
SOME DIFFICULTIES AS HOWARTH HAD MADE PROVISIONAL PLANS TO VISIT
SOME OTHER ASIAN COUNTRIES ON HIS WAY BACK FROM HONG KONG.
3. I UNDERTOOK TO REPORT TO YOU THE DIFFICULT SITUATION IN
WHICH THE CANADIANS NOW FOUND THEMSELVES, AS SEEN FROM HERE IT
WOULD SEEM HELPFUL IN MAINTAINING THE GOOD RELATIONS YOU HAVE WITH THE CANADIANS TO GIVE THEM A FULLER EXPLANATION AS TO WHY
19 AUGUST IS NO LONGER PRACTICABLE, IF THIS IS INDEED REALLY THE
CASE.
I WARNED MACPHERSON, HOWEVER, THAT I HAD SEEN A COPY OF
FCO TELEGRAM MO. 492 TO HONG KONG ABOUT CONSULTATIONS BETWEEN
HONG KONG AND THE FCO, WHICH MIGHT WELL HAVE SOME BEARING ON THE
DATES OF YOUR CONSULTATIONS WITH THE CANADIANS WITH THE CANAD-
IANS. I DID NOT, OF COURSE, GO INTO ANY DETAILS OF THE CONTENTS
OF THAT TELEGRAM.
SIR C CROWE
FILES
TONG KONG D. COMMODITIES D. TR. POL. D.
[REPEATED AS REQUESTED TO HONG KONG]
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