IMMEDIATE
CYPHER CAT/A
GRPS 200
SECRET
2
TM HONG KONG 050655Z
- 5 NOV 1975
SECRET
DESKBY 050958Z
HKK'Y/Y
TO IMMEDIATE F C O TELEGRAM NO 1112 OF 5 NOVEMBER.
FOLLOWING FOR SIR DUNCAN WATSON.
ff.
YOUR TELEGRAMS NO 853 AND NO 854: DEATH SENTENCES.
44
(x2)
I AGREE THE STATEMENT SHOULD BE SHORTENED TO EXPOSE LESS. SURFACE. BUT I CANNOT AGREE THAT ITS PUNCH LINE SHOULD BE FURTHER DISCUSSIONS WITH THE SECRETARY OF STATE, THOUGH I OF COURSE WOULD GLADLY DISCUSS AGAIN. I WELL UNDERSTAND HIS SITUATION, AND THE OUTCOME OF SUCH FURTHER DISCUSSIONS IS A FOREGONE CONCLUSION SINCE I TAKE IT HE CANNOT RETURN TO THE CREECH-JONES FORMULA AND REMOVAL OF THE DEATH PENALTY BY LEGISLATION BY EITHER OF US WOULD ONLY MAKE THE SITUATION
WORSE, AND IS IN CONSEQUENCE NOT AN OPTION.
2. IN THESE CIRCUMSTANCES IT WOULD BE WRONG FOR THE COLONIAL SECRETARY TO APPEAR TO HOLD OUT SOME HOPE OF A CHANGE FOLLOWING
DISCUSSIONS IN LONDON IN DECEMBER.
3. IF ANY QUESTIONS ARE ASKED IN THE U.K. FOLLOWING THIS STATEMENT, I COULD NOT REASONABLY OBJECT TO THE F C O SPEAKING AS IN THE LAST SENTENCE OF YOUR TELEGRAM NO 854, THOUGH I WOULD MUCH PREFER SOMETHING TO THE EFFECT THAT NO CHANGE SEEMS POSSIBLE.
4. UNLESS THEREFORE I HEAR TO THE CONTRARY FROM YOU THE STATEMENT WILL BE ALONG THE LINES OF MY IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING TELEGRAM.
5. I SHOULD ADD THAT THE FORMULA IN PARAGRAPH 17 OF MY TELEGRAM 38) NO 1100 AS AMENDED IN PARA 3(C) OF MIFT HAS BEEN DISCUSSED IN
EXECUTIVE COUNCIL AND IS THE MINIMUM THOUGHT WORTH SAYING.
MACLEHOSE
FILES
COPIES TO:
HKIOD (3)
HD/GIB & GEN D PS
1
PS/LORD GORONWY-ROBERTS
PS/PUS
SIR D WATSON MR MALE MR LARMOUR
SECRET.
MR AR RUSHFORD LEGAL ADVISERS