WBEK11.50 20404 mrouvi KEY+J0273330+ 73380 GOVHK HX
WIRPR HKGOVT G
Σ
Tos
HKK 1641
10 MAY 1978
*0.51
OFFICER
RES
PA
Action Tren
TX901
EN CLAIR
FM HONGAID 091130
UNCLASSIFIED
TO ROUTINE GOVERNOR HONGKONG TELNO HK523 OF 9 MAY
FROM COMMISSIONER, LONDON
YOUR TELNO 450 OF 1 MAY 1973.
!
2. BOXALL SPOKE TO GAVSHON AND POINTED OUT THE DISCREPANCIES BETWEEN WHAT H.E. SAID AND HAT APPEARED IN A.P. REPORTS PUBLISHED IN THE ASIAN WALL STREET JOURNAL AND THE HONGKONG STANDARD.
3. GAVSHON STATED CATEGORICALLY THAT HIS REPORT DID NOT ATTRIBUTE THE STATEMENTS THAT HONGKONG AUTHORITIES WERE DISCUSSING THE POSSIBLE PURCHASE OF COAL FROM CHINA, AND THAT THE CHINESE HAD SIMULTANEOUSLY UNDERTAKEN TO BUY MINING EQUIPMENT FROM BRITAIN, TO H.E. HE SAID HE HAD MENTIONED THESE MATTERS IN HIS, REPORT, BUT ONLY AS BACKGROUND FROM HIS OWN KNOWLEDGE'. IT WOULD APPEAR, HE SAID, THAT HIS REPORT, WHICH WAS QUITE LONG, HAD BEEN TELESCOPED BY THE LOCAL SUB-EDITORS, ITH THE RESULT THAT THE STATEMENTS SEEMED TO BE ATTRIBUTED TO H.E.
4. GAVSHON ACCEPTED OUR RECORD OF WHAT H.E. HAD ACTUALLY SAID, AND WAS GENUINELY UPSET THAT HIS REPORT HAD BEEN PUBLISHED IN A FORM THAT MADE HIM APPEAR TO HAVE DISTORTED H. E. 'S WORDS. HE POINTED OUT THAT IT WAS DIFFICULT TO CONTROL WHAT HAPPENED TO A REPORT ONCE IT LEFT A.P., AND SAID HE WAS TERRIBLY SORRY THAT HIS REPORT HAD CAUSED EMBARRASSMENT AND I WILL DO EVERYTHING I CAN TO SEE IT DOES NOT HAPPEN AGAIN''.
HE ASKED IF THERE WAS ANYTHING HE COULD DO TO PUT IT RIGHT'',
BUT BOX ALL SAID IT WOULD BE BETTER NOT TO PECPEN THE SUBJECT, WITH THE RISK OF CREATING FURTHER MISUNDERSTANDING.
5.
GAYSHON ASKED THAT HIS APOLOGIES BE CONVEYED TO H.E. PERSONALLY.++++
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HKGOVT G 73300 GOVHK HX