CYPHER/CAT-At wo
FM WASHINGTON 182315Z
CONFIDENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL
3
DESKBY 1908ØØZ (FCO AND UKMIS GENEVA)
73
TO ROUTINE FCO TELNO 251 OF 18/1/INFO HONG KONG
BIS NEW YORK AND UKMIS GENEVA,
YOUR TELNO 149:
NARCOTICS.
1.
UKMIS NEW YORK,
1. THE REPORT WAS PUT OUT ON 11 JANUARY BY THE COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN
AFFAIRS OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. IT IS THE WORK OF TWO STAFF
MEMBERS AND RESULTED FROM A TRIP BY ONE OF THEM, BRADY, TO HONG KONG
IN SEPTEMBER. IT SEEMS THAT HIS CRITICAL COMMENTS ABOUT BRITISH
OFFICIALS MAY DERIVE FROM HIS FEELING THAT HIS EGO WAS NOT
SUFFICIENTLY MASSAGED WHILE HE WAS IN HONG KONG. THE REPORT APPEARS
TO DRAW IN A NUMBER OF RESPECTS ON MCCOY'S RECENT CONTROVERSIAL
BOOK ON OPIUM.
2. PASSAGE QUOTED IN YOUR TELEGRAM UNDER REFERENCE IS AMONG NUMEROUS RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE REPORT. WE UNDERSTAND THAT REFERENCE TO THIS
HAS NOW BEEN MADE IN THE SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST AND THAT THERE HAS
BEEN LOCAL OFFICIAL COMMENT.
3. THE REPORT IS NOT OF COURSE AN ADMINISTRATION DOCUMENT. NEVERTHE-
LESS ON SEEING IT WE EXPRESSED CONCERN TO THE STATE DEPARTMENT ON
18 JANUARY, MAKING THE POINTS THAT POTENTIALLY DAMAGING MYTHS SHOULD
BE PUT DOWN AND IN PARTICULAR THAT WE WOULD DEPLORE ANY SPILL-OVER
INTO, E.G., PRIVATE COMMERCIAL RELATIONS. THE STATE DEPARTMENT DID
NOT HOWEVER EXPECT THE REPORT TO HAVE MUCH IMPACT HERE AND APPEARED
CONCERNED RATHER WITH THE EFFECT ON THE REPUTATION OF THEIR
CONSULATE-GENERAL. THEY MENTIONED INSTANCES OF PAST FRICTION OVER
NARCOTICS MATTERS IN HONG KONG BUT MADE CLEAR TO US THEIR AMPLE
PRESENT SATISFACTION WITH THE STATE OF US/UK COOPERATION THERE.
RECENT HONG KONG CRACKDOWNS HAD BEEN EXEMPLARY.
4. NEVERTHELESS WE ARE ANXIOUS TO SET THE PUBLIC RECORD STRAIGHT
HERE AND WOULD BE GRATEFUL FOR MATERIAL TO THIS END.
5. COPIES OF THE REPRT ARE IN TODAY'S BAG (FCO AND HONG KONG ONLY).
CROMER
FILES
UND HKIOD NAM D
/REPEATED AS REQUESTED/
COPIES TO:
MR C J TRAIN HOME OFFICE
ROMNEY HSE
MAID
SIR D WATSON MR WILFORD
CONFIDENTIAL