Mr. Carter
Reference НКК 6/548/3......
I have placed on this TJ a copy of
with (13
Mr. Rounthwaite's complaint to Guidance Department about lack of briefing. I have returned the Guidance Department file with an apology for mislaying the letter until today, explaining that we have already briefed Mr. Hannam (who will presumably pass the information on) up to the 10th January about the Tunnel and Kai Tak Airport.
2.
Mr. Gaminara will presumably wish to contribute to any brief so far as defence costs are concerned. If you decide that we should send a brief, we can add to what we have already said about the Tunnel and the Airport. But you may think that the matter should be dealt with otherwise, perhaps by including mention of this letter in the next of the fortnightly series of Newsletters to Mr. Hannam.
3. I am not sure how we can get the point across to the Trade Commission, but perhaps we ought to try to explain that any criticism of Britain in Colonial territories is no new thing, and is not necessarily so serious a matter as it may be in an independent territory. Moreover, it is questionable whether it would be satisfactorily dealt with by the sort of means an Information Officer would be able to use. Is there, for example, any way of putting an end to criticism of Britain for failing to lend money to extend Kai Tak Airport other than lending the money? Much the same thing would probably apply to the ECGD complaint.
22 January 1969
Mr.
(H. H. Stewart) Hong Kong Department