TX
CYPHER CAT/A
FM HONGAID 081400
CONFIDENTIAL
TO IMMEDIATE GOVERNOR HONG KONG, HK20 OF 8 JANUARY.
FOR WILLIAMS FROM KIDD.
FCO TELEGRAMS 4 AND 5 OF 7TH JANUARY, FABIAN SOCIETY PAMPHLET.
WE NOW LEARN THAT THE PAMPHLET WILL BE PUBLISHED ON 25TH JANUARY.
ADVANCE COPY WILL BE SENT TO THE UK AND HONG KONG PRESS WITH
ACCOMPANYING PRESS RELEASE, BUT NO OTHER MEANS WILL BE USED
TO OBTAIN PUBLICITY.
2.
WE ARE THEREFORE LIKELY TO BE ASKED FOR OUR COMMENTS
ON THE PAMPHLET DURING LATTER HALF OF WEEK BEGINNING JANUARY
19TH AND IT WOULD CLEARLY BE TO OUR ADVANTAGE IF OUR COMMENTS
WERE PUBLISHED SIMULTANEOUSLY WITH THE PAMPHLET.
3.
AS I SHALL BE IN HONG KONG AT THE TIME, WEBB-JOHNSON
AND BOXALL WILL HAVE TO DEAL WITH QUESTIONS FROM THE PRESS AND
YOU WILL APPRECIATE THAT THEY CAN ONLY COMMENT ON THE BASIS
OF THE GUIDANCE THEY RECEIVE FROM YOU AND IN CO-ORDINATION WITH
FCO TO WHOM I AM COPYING THIS TELEGRAM. WE HOPE THEREFORE THAT
YOU WILL BE ABLE TO ENSURE THAT GUIDANCE REACHES US HERE NOT
LATER THAN THURSDAY JANUARY 22ND.
4.
IF YOU CAN WORK WITHIN THIS TIME-SCALE, WEBB-JOHNSON AND
BOXALL CAN THEN CONSIDER WHETHER ANY ADVANTAGE CAN BE OBTAINED
BY GIVING SHORT STATEMENT TO POLITICAL CORRESPONDENTS, ETC.
WITH EMBARGO UNTIL PAMPHLET IS PUBLISHED. KIDD +++