IMMEDIATE CYPHER/CAT A GPS 220
EM F C O 051650Z SECRET
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TO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG TELEGRAM NUMBER 857 OF 5 NOVEMBER 75
KONG
FOLLOWING FROM MALE (IN WATSON'S ABSENCE)]
LAST
ASF.
YOUR TELEGRAM NUMBERS 1112 AND 1113
REXI
Alf.
(43)
DEATH SENTENCES
1.
THERE IS NO TIME TO CONSULT MINISTERS AFRESH AND IN
VIEW OF WHAT YOU SAY IN THE FIRST PARAGRAPH OF YOUR FIRST TELEGRAM UNDER REFERENCE, WE ARE CONTENT FOR YOU TO PLAY THE HAND AS YOU PROPOSE. YOU MAY LIKE TO KNOW, HOWEVER, THAT THE SECRETARY OF STATE PERSONALLY APPROVED FCO TELEGRAM
NUMBERS 853 AND 854 AND WOULD THEREFORE HAVE BEEN AGREEABLE
TO THE COLONIAL SECRETARY'S USING THE TEXT IN THE SECOND
OF THOSE TELEGRAMS.
. OF
2.
WE SEE NO OBJECTION TO YOUR AMENDMENTS AND THINK THAT
THE TEXT WHICH HAS NOW EMERGED IS A DISTINCT IMPROVEMENT
ON THE ORIGINAL. WE PARTICULARLY WELCOME YOUR PROPOSED
ADDITION TO PARAGRAPH 17. OF. THE TEXT IN YOUR TELEGRAM
NUMBER 1100. AS SEEN FROM HERE, IT WOULD BE RIGHT FOR YOU TO
RETAIN SOME MANOEUVRABILITY IN IMPOSING LIFE IMPRISONMENT.
IN VIEW OF THIS AMENDMENT, HOWEVER, WE WONDER WHETHER
PARAGRAPH 19 IS NOT OTIOSE.
3.
GRATEFUL FOR TEXT OF COLONIAL SECRETARY'S STATEMENT AS
DELIVERED. IN THE EVENT OF QUESTIONS HERE, WE WOULD BE
GUIDED BY PARAGRAPH 3 OF YOUR TELEGRAM NUMBER 1112.
CALLAGHAN
FILES
HKLOD
GGD
PS
LEGAL ADVISERS
PS/LORD GORONWY-ROBERTS
PS/PUS
MR MALE
MR LARMOUR MR RUSHFORD
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