CYPHER CAT/A
NKX 1019
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FM HONG KONG C1953CZ
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TO ROUTINE F.C.0. TELEGRAM NUMBER 226 OF 1 APRIL.
MY TELEGRAM NO. 225 TO YOU.
IEFENCE CONTRIBUTION.
LAST
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SINCE DRAFTING MY TELEGRAM UNDER REFERENCE, I HAVE BEEN ABLE TO
HAVE A CONFIDENTIAL TALK WITH SIR ALBERT RODRIGUES ON THE ATTITUDES
CF UNOFFICIAL MEMBERS. HE WAS SPEAKING PERSONALLY, AND NOT AS
A REPRESENTATIVE OF THEM.
2.
APPARENTLY THE FURTHER COMMUNICATION, REFERRED TO IN PARA. 2
CF MY TELEGRAM UNDER REFERENCE, WILL BE DIRECTED TOWARDS POINTS
IN THE UNOFFICIAL MEMBERS' FIRST MEMORANDUM WHICH THEY FEEL HAVE
NOT BEEN ADEQUATELY ANSWERED. IN PARTICULAR, THEY APPEAR TO BE
SETTING GREAT STORE ON ACHIEVING AGREEMENT THAT ANY FIGURE THEY
SUGGEST BE WHOLLY UNRELATED (IN SO FAR AS FORMALLY AGREED BETWEEN
HONG KONG AND HMG) TO ANY CALCULATIONS OR FIGURES OF ANY KIND,
AND HAVE THE FORMAL STATUS MERELY OF A CONTRIBUTION OF SUCH
MAGNITUDE AS MAY BE AGREED WITHOUT EXPLANATION OF HOW ITS SIZE
WAS ARRIVED AT (ALTHOUGH IT SEEMS TO BE ACCEPTED THAT EACH SIDE
MUST HAVE ITS OWN PRIVATE REASONS FOR AGREEING THE FIGURE). FURTHERMORE, ONCE ARRIVED AT, THEY APPEAR TO FEEL STRONGLY THAT IT MUST REMAIN UNCHANGED FOR THE WHOLE PERIOD OF THE AGREEMENT, EXCEPT PERHAPS IN DRASTICALLY ALTERED CIRCUMSTANCES AND INDEED
THE REASON WHY THEY ARE STRESSING THE IMPORTANCE OF A CONTRIBUTION BASED ON NO FIGURES OR PRINCIPLES IS THAT THEY DO NOT, WANT THESE
FIGURES CR PRINCIPLES TO BE QUCTED IN SUPPORT OF AN ARGUMENT FOR
AN INCREASED CONTRIBUTION DURING THE CURRENCY OF THE AGREEMENT.
3.
I GOT THE IMPRESSION THAT IF THIS POINT 1.E. THAT THE
CONTRIBUTION WAS A MERE CONTRIBUTION THAT HAD NO AGREED BASIS SUPPORTING IT COULD BE CONCEDED, A NUMBER OF MEMBERS WOULD AGREE TO A VERY CONSIDERABLY INCREASED AMOUNT, ALTHOUGH NOT ONE AS HIGH
AS POUNDS 8.5 MILLION.
14. HOWEVER, THIS
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