CONFIDENTIAL
IN THE LIGHT OF THE CHINESE INTERVENTION (YOUR TELEGRAM 10. 40, ESPECIALLY THE LAST SENTENCE), WE MUST BE PREPARED FOR THE
POSSIBILITY THAT CHINA MILL SOON SEEK ELECTION TO THE WARCOTICS CMISSION AND/OR HEADERSHIP OF THE EVENTUAL SUB-COMMISSION. SINCE SHE IS NOT YET A MEMBER OF THE COMMISSION, HOWEVER, WE DO NOT SEE HOW SHE COULD BECOME, AT LEAST FOR THE PRESENT A MEMBER OF THE AD HOC COMMITTEE).
5. EVEN IF THE CHINESE TAKE AN ACTIVE INTEREST IN THE WORK OF THE COMMITTEE OR THE SUB-COMMISSION, VE DOUBT WHETHER THEY WILL SEEK TO MA PER PRACTICAL MEASURES TO IMPROVE CONTROL OF DRUG TRAFFICKING INVOLVING HONG KONG. OBVIOUSLY THE OPENNESS WITH WHICH WE COULD REPRESENT HONG KONG INTERESTS IN EITHER BODY WOULD BE AFFECTED BY WHETHER THE CHINESE WERE PRESENT. BUT OUR FORMAL POSITION WOULD DE PROTECTED BY OUR STATUS OF QUOTE NEUTRAL UMPIRE UNQUOTE. 6. WE HOPE THAT THE ABOVE GIVES YOU SUFFICIENT MATERIAL TO REASSURE
THE AVERICANS. BUT WE STILL HAVE SOME DOUBTS ABOUT THE UTILITY OF
THIS HOLE OPERATION IN THE ABSENCE OF ANY INDICATION THAT COUNTRIES SUCH AS BURMA, LAOS AND THE KHER REPUBLIC (ADMITTEDLY NOT ELIGIBLE FOR THE COMMITTEE) WOULD SEEK LEMBERSHIP OF, OR CO-OPERATE WITH THE SUB-CO11SSION.
DOUGLAS-HOME
FILES
UND
MAID
FED
HKI OD
NORTH AMER DEPT
MR WILFORD
MR HANKEY
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CONFIDENTIAL
COPIES TO
MR C J TRAIN
HOME OFFICE. ROMNEY HOUSE