CONFIDENTIAL
GPS 200
نیه
PRIORITY
CYPHER/CAT A
FROM HONG KONG 1801202
RECEIVED IN
CONFIDENTIAL
TO PRIORITY FCO TELNO 426 OF 18 APRIL. REGISTRY No.52
1974
18 APR 1974
fel To
HK
YOUR TELEGRAM NO 361.
HKK 21/3
LAST
PROPOSED HONG KONG SHIPPING REGISTER.
30 14
হ
REF.
NEXT
الله
I AM GRATEFUL THAT COPIES OF THE DOT STUDY TEAM'S REPORT ARE BEING FORWARDED FOR EXAMINATION HERE, BY THE TIME YOUR TELEGRAM
UNDER REFERENCE ARRIVED OUR SHIPOWNERS HAD, IN FACT, BEEN CONSULTED
ON THE EARLIER OUTLINE PROPOSALS CONTAINED IN TELEGRAM NO 154 AND
COMMENTS HAD BEEN PREPARED ON THE BASIS OF THEIR REACTIONS (WHICH, I SHOULD ADD, WERE SOMEWHAT NEGATIVE).
2. IF, AS I ASSUME, THE OUTLINE PROPOSALS IN THAT TELEGRAM ACCURATELY
REFLECTED THE TEAM'S FINDINGS I ALSO WAS DISAPPOINTED TO FIND THAT THEY APPEARED TO MARK A SIGNIFICANT RETROGRESSION IN SEVERAL IMPORTANT WAYS FROM THE EARLIER DRAFT HEADS OF AGREEMENT, IN RESPECT OF WHICH OUR SHIPOWNERS HAD IN ANY CASE BEEN NONE TOO ENTHUSIASTIC.
3. IN THESE CIRCUMSTANCES I DOUBT WHETHER IT WOULD BE WORTHWHILE PASSING ON OUR COMMENTS UNTIL THEY HAVE BEEN THOROUGHLY CHECKED AGAINST THE TEAM'S FULL REPORT AND HONG KONG SHIPOWNERS HAVE, IF NECESSARY, BEEN CONSULTED AGAIN. THIS WILL BE DONE AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE AFTER WE RECEIVE THE REPORT.
4. 1 FULLY TAKE THE POINT THAT DOT MINISTERS HAVE NOT YET HAD TIME TO TAKE A VIEW ON THE TEAM'S REPORT AND WOULD ONLY EXPRESS THE HOPE THAT THEY WILL NOT DO SO DEFINITIVELY UNTIL AFTER MY DETAILED COMMENTS HAVE BEEN RECEIVED AND CONSIDERED.
FCO PASS COPY TO HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON
MACLEHOSE
FILES
HK ICD
MTD
SIR D WATSON
MR YOUDE
MR MARSHALL
CONFIDENTIAL
COPIES TO
MR J ARCHER, D. OF T. MARINE DIV. SUNLEY HOUSE.
HONG KONG GOVT OFFICE LONDON WI