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(iii) Naval Presence in the Caribbean. In the DS F report
the CO suggestions included the idea that there should be no ships permanently stationed in the area. The LOD are now reportedly thinking in terrs of reducing the naval presence to one frigate permanently on station, reinforced by others from time to time, and retaining SNOWI's Headquarters (though there is apparently some internal MCD disa,reement about this at the moment end there is apparently an inclination to leave fing decisions until later.) The brief for our consultations with the Americans should cover our intentions in this connexion, Should we therefore try to get general agreement to the reported LCD view?
There is apparently no disposition on the part of the 10 to press for any action at this stage on the fo suestion in the DSTP Retort that we should withdraw from the Falklands and elizo during the 70s, or on the question of services assisted evacuation
lans, which will need review and in many cases probably abandonment When our final dispositions Fast of the Cape are settled. consultations with other governments are involved on these points at this stage and there is therefore no need for us to raise these questions at the Sub Committee.
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As regards future arrangements for SEATO, Ir Squires has alreau, Jiven me a brief.
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We have now also had a copy of the CD's promised paper on the echanics of consultations. A copy is attached. If you love any comments on the suggestions about consultations over non-RATO commitments, I should be rateful to have them by mid-day tomOITOW, Juesday. basically, Ir Thorson will be drawin, on the recomenda- Lions in your earlier minutes about mechanics, but I should be glod to know what you think of the CD proposal for an initial Ministerial statement now that the scope of it is shown more clearly in Acnaix
to the 100 paper and how you feel about the sugestion that our llies should be given on initial indication in writing of our intentions. ly own view is that:-
(1) Broadly speaking, we could go along with some generalisel
statement alon, the lines of paragraphs 6 and 7 of the dral'l statement. It might however be more tactful to crit any thing like the last sentence of paragraph 4 of the draft. It might also be misleading, e.g. for Hong Kong to say (paragraph 7 of the draft) that e shall eintain our "present" obligations in respect of dependent territories.
/(ii)
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