PP F C O
GRS 220
448
TOP COPY
{
RING / HKIOD
Rint
(.92)
CYPHER CAT/A
HILILIO/1
FM HONG KONG 180240Z
CONFIDENTIAL
DISTRIBUTION
TO PRIORITY F C O TELEGRAM NO 1281 OF 18 DECEMBER.
FOR O'KEEFFE. PLEASE PASS TO HADDON-CAVE.
DEFENCE COSTS.
YOUR TELEGRAM NO 965 OF 17 DECEMBER.
490)
YOUR PARA 5. WE HAVE PREPARED VERSIONS OF PARAGRAPHS 1 AND 5 OF THE HONG KONG EDITION OF THE JOINT PRESS STATEMENT AND ARE HAVING THESE TRANSLATED. WE NEED YOUR SUGGESTIONS VERY QUICKLY IF WE ARE TO HAVE TIME TO TAKE THEM INTO ACCOUNT.
2. WE HAVE PLANNED OUR PUBLICITY ON THE ASSUMPTION THAT THE GOVERNOR WILL NOT COMMENT SEPARATELY IN LONDON. SEE PARA 6 OF MY TELEGRAM NO 1262 OF 15 DECEMBER. AT THIS STAGE IT WOULD NOT BE EASY TO REARRANGE OUR STATEMENTS SO AS TO FIT THEM IN WITH ANYTHING HE MIGHT HAVE SAID IN LONDON.
3. A TELEVISION APPEARANCE BY THE GOVERNOR WOULD BE ILL TIMED UNLESS IT COULD BE BROADCAST HERE ON FRIDAY EVENING HONG KONG TIME (WHICH HARDLY SEEMS PRACTICABLE). TO BROADCAST IT LATER WOULD REVIVE SOMETHING WHICH MIGHT HAVE GONE QUIET BY THEN. NOR COULD IT COUNTER THE PARTICULAR POINTS WHICH HAVE BECOME A PUBLIC ISSUE AT THAT STAGE.
4. AT THE INSISTENCE OF UNOFFICIAL MEMBERS OF EXECUTIVE COUNCIL THE ACTING GOVERNOR HAS UNDERTAKEN TO APPEAR ON TELEVISION HIMSELF ON FRIDAY EVENING. IF THE GOVERNOR IS TO BROADCAST, THIS WOULD HAVE TO BE CANCELLED.
5. OUR ASSESSMENT IS THAT WE HAVE A GOOD CHANCE OF GETTING THROUGH WITHOUT TOO HOSTILE A PUBLIC REACTION. WE HOPE THAT THE WEEK-END, THE WINTER SOLSTICE (22ND) AND THE CHRISTMAS HOLIDAY WILL HELP TO DAMPEN THE CONTROVERSY.
ROBERTS
04-50
Page 75Page 76