DRAFT TELEGRAM TO GOVERNOR, HONG KONG
CONFIDENTIAL
YOUR TELEGRAMS 724, 759 and 792: REGISTER OF SHIPPING
Following from Minister for Aerospace and Shipping
to Governor.
I have carefully considered your telegrams of 5, 12
and 19 July. It appears that the only difference
between us relates to the qualifications of seconds-
in-command. Provided all the other proposals in my
telegram number 611 of 21 June are acceptable, I
would be prepared, as a final move in order to secure
agreement, to treat First Officers as well as other
officers below the Master in the way proposed in
item (3) of that telegram.
2. The consideration of qualifications and record
of sea service of individual officers who do not hold
British certificates will be no easy task. We envisage
that our seconded surveyors with experience as
examiners will play a leading role in this and that
will
Hong Kong shipowners/co-operate fully by making their
officers available for interview and testing as
considered necessary. While our surveyors will be
instructed to work with your Director of Marine to
make the new arrangements operate smoothly they must
ensure that standards equivalent to those applying
/to the UK