Long Term Planning
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Cory Po. 1.
3/2
(a) (b)
Agreed
Planning:
I agree that a study of the kind
proposed will be most valuable.
The problem which can only be settled locally is how to mount it without rumours spreading through the Secretariat to outside. То avoid such leaks knowledge of the exercise would have to be confined to a small and very senior restricted circle certainly C.S. and F.S. possibly D.C.S. and Defence Secretary who has some spare capacity, I believe. (The earlier study was only known in Hong Kong to the Governor and the C.S.). But could it be done effectively on this basis? "Safe-haven for loyal Chinese: there was an estimate of the numbers concerned made by the Whitehall working party set up after the 1967 disturbances. My recollection was that it was very inprecise but large enough to defeat the ingenuity of the Committee in suggesting that there could be an honourable solution to the problem.
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