PRIORITY
CYPHER/CAT A
GRES 300
EN HONG KONG 9159887
CONFIDENTIAL
CONFIDENTI AL
M-Stuart
+3
Spokes .1, Wilfand
M. Roy
See also M.
ute
(rehmer to HRCOD). Are the "HK
TO PRIORITY F C O TELNO 467 OF 1ST MAY, 1973.
YOUR TELNO 406.
HONG KONG SHIPPING REGISTER,
3
PLEASE PASS FOLLOWING TO ARCHER, DII.
shipowner's" BSS or
all nato litios
→
214
A MISUNDERSTANDING APPEARS TO HAVE ARISEN, IT IS ONLY
POSSIBLE TO PREPARE MEANINGFUL AND AUTHORITATIVE AND, WE TRUST,
FINAL COMMENTS AFTER FULL CONSULTATION WITH OUR SHIPOWNERS, AS
THEY WILL IN THE END HAVE TO MAKE THE DECISIONS ON HOW MUCH OF THEIR
TONNAGE THEY WILL REGISTER IN HONG KONG IF A SEPARATE REGISTRY IS
ESTABLISHED. TO SEND YOU MERELY COVERNMENT COMMENTS AT THIS STAGE
MIGHT BE MISLEADING AND COULD RESULT IN THE EXERCISE BEING SLOWED
DOWN RATHER THAN SPEEDED UP.
2. TO HAVE FULL CONSULTATIONS WITH THE SHIPOWNERS AND TO CARRY
THEM WITH US IN ANY COMMENTS WE FINALLY MAKE INEVITABLY MEANS
THAT WE HAVE TO GIVE THEM A REASONABLE TIME TO DISCUSS THE MATTER
IN THEIR ASSOCIATIONS AND AN OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE THEIR REMARKS IN
WRITING. TIME IS NEEDED ALSO BECAUSE ONE OR TWO OF THE KEY
FIGURES INVOLVED ARE AT PRESENT OUT OF HONG KONG.
3. IN VIEW OF THE FACT THAT MR HESELTINE HAS ALREADY HELD DISCUS-
SIONSWITH BOTH SIDES OF THE BRITISH INDUSTRY WE WILL, OF COURSE,
DO OUR BEST TO EXPEDITE THE DISCUSSIONS HERE AND TO SEND YOU A FULLY
CONSIDERED DOCUMENT AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE. BUT WITH THE BEST WILL
IN THE WORLD WE CANNOT GUARANTEE THAT THIS WILL BE READY
CONFIDENTIAL
/BEFORE THE