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TO IMMEDIATE F C O TELEGRAM NUMBER 908 OF 6 SEPTEMBER, 1974.
MY TELEGRAM NUMBER 892.
MORRISON, WHO WAS HOWELL'S IMMEDIATE SUPERIOR IN SCOTLAND YARD, CONCLUDES THAT THE LATTER HAS SUFFERED A SERIOUS NERVOUS BREAKDOWN. NOTHING THAT HOWELL HAS SAID IN EXPLANATION OF HIS ACTION OR HIS GENERAL BEHAVIOUR, MAKES SENSE EXCEPT AGAINST THIS DIAGNOSIS.
2. WE HAVE PRESSED HIM TO SUBMIT TO MEDICAL EXAMINATION HERE, BUT THIS RESULTED IN SUCH HYSTERIA THAT WE HAVE THOUGHT IT
PRUDENT TO DESIST.
3. IN THE CIRCUMSTANCES WE THINK IT BEST THAT HOWELL SHOULD BE REPATRIATED IMMEDIATELY AND HE WILL ACCOMPANY MORRISON ON HIS
RETURN TO THE UK THIS EVENING.
4. PRESENTATION COULD BE DIFFICULT. UNLESS WE CAN, IF NECESSARY, EXPLAIN WHAT HAS REALLY HAPPENED HIS DEPARTURE COULD GIVE RISE TO
DAMAGING SPECULATION.
5. FOR THE TIME BEING WE CAN SAY THAT HE HAS RETURNED TO THE UK FOR URGENT PRIVATE REASONS. BUT WE DO NOT THINK THIS WILL HOLD UP FOR LONG AND WE WOULD LIKE TO BE ABLE TO FOLLOW THIS, AS AND WHEN NECESSARY, BY A SHORT STATEMENT TO THE EFFECT THAT TO OUR REGRET MR HOWELL SUFFERED A SERIOUS NERVOUS BREAKDOWN AND THAT IN CONSEQUENCE MEDICAL ADVICE IS THAT FOR THE TIME BEING HE SHOULD NOT SERVE OUTSIDE HIS HOME ENVIRONMENT.
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