CONFIDENTIAL
78
Mr Rush RUSHFORD
GODBER
1.
I have received the attached reply from Charles Russell and Company. They rang me up and said that Mr French had asked why the FCO was suggesting that the letter should be sent. I said that it was the Hong Kong Government's request, not ours. I did not know their full reasons, but I assumed that, since, as Mr French knew, the enquiry from the defence had been sparked off by something Mr Irvine had said, the Hong Kong Government thought it prudent to find out from him what exactly that something was.
2.
Mr French's advice is as you see. to send a deadpan telegram to Hong Kong.
I think our best course is I attach a possible draft.
DCSLS
A C Stuart
18 November 1974
Hong Kong & Indian Ocean Dept.
I agros
A.R.R.
18.11.
CONFIDENTIAL