CYPHER CAT A
FM HONG KONG 101906Z
SECRET IN REGISTRY No. 51
11 FEB 1971
HICILE/G
A0 0
21
SECRET
TO ROUTINE F.C.0. TELNO. 85 OF.10 FEBRUARY 1971
PERSONAL FOR MONSON FROM GOVERNOR
YOUR TELEGRAM NO.113 TO ME
LAST
REF.
22)
TEFENCE CONTRIBUTION
AS ADVISED, A PAPER ON THE LIPES ALREADY DISCUSSED WITH YOU WAS PUT TO EXECUTIVE COUNCIL ON 9TH FEBRUARY
2. THE MEETING WAS AS DIFFICULT AS EXPECTED AND, PREDICTABLY, UNOFFICIAL MEMBERS' FIRST REACTION WAS TO REFUSE EVEN TO CONSIDER A CONTRIBUTION OF THIS MAGNITUDE. THEIR INITIAL LINE WAS THAT THE MOST THEY FRE PREPARED TO CONSIDER WAS £5.5 MILLION, BEING A SUM NOW REPRESENTING THE HONG KONG DOLLAR EQUIVALENT OF £5 MILLION AT THE TIME OF THE 1966 AGREEMENT (1.E. BEFORE DEVALUATION)
2
3. THEIR ATTITUDE WAS THAT THEY COULD CONSIDER ONLY A TOKEN FIGURE
SEMICOLON THEY APPARENTLY DISLIKED ANY FIGURE BASED ON A PRINCIPLE
OF ANY KIND SEMICOLON ONE OR TWO COMPLAINED AT THE LACK OF DETAILED
SUPPORT FOR THE FIGURES OF COSTS WHICH HAD BEEN SUPPLIED, AND OTHERS
PERHAPS REALISED THAT A DEMAND FOR DETAIL WAS HARDLY CONSONANT WITH
THE 'TOKEN'' CONCEPTION. THEY SUGGESTED SOME MILITARY SUPPORTING
SERVICES (E.G. SCHOOLS) WERE OVER-LAVISH IN PROVISION AND COULD BE
SUPPLIED NORE CHEAPLY BY USING LOCAL FACILITIES OR SUPPLYING IN KIND
SEMICOLON THEY HARKED BACK TO THE GRIEVANCES MENTIONED IN MY TEL.
NO. 23 TO YOU. THEY WERE ALL ALSO OBVIOUSLY APPREHENSIVE OF THE
REACTION OF LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL UNOFFICIAL MEMBERS AND THE PUBLIC
REACTION ( AS INDEED I AM, TOO, OF COURSE). THEY DID NOT EXPRESS
THEIR VIEWS PARTICULARLY COHERENTLY.
/4.I DID NOT
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