3.
(A)
MY SOURCE SUGGESTS THAT THERE ARE ONLY THREE OPTIONS NOW OPEN THE GOVERNMENT:
TO ACCEPT THE EUROPEAN BID (THE JAPANESE OFFER SEEMS TO BE TOO LOW AND THERE ARE VALID DOUBTS ABOUT THE FURTHER APPRECIATION
OF THE YEN)',
(B) TO ARGUE THAT THE BRITISH BID IS POLITICALLY DESIRABLE (PARA
5 OF MY TELEGRAM UNDER REFERENCE) AND THAT THERE WILL BE A REDUCTION
IN PRICE AFTER THE TENDER AWARD,
(C) TO REOPEN TENDERING ON THE GROUNDS THAT THERE WERE TOO FEW
BIDS IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE SPECIFICATION.
4. FOR EITHER OPTION (B) OR (C) TO HAVE ANY CHANCE OF SWINGING THE CONTRACT BACK TO METCAM IT IS ESSENTIAL TO KNOW BY THE END
OF NEXT WEEK WHETHER THEY CAN REDUCE THEIR PRICE BY BETWEEN
POUNDS STERLING 5-8 MILLION IN ORDER TO MATCH AT LEAST THE
DIMENSIONS EUROPEAN BID. SANSOME IS AWARE OF THE DISCUSSIONS OF HIS PROBLEM
AND WILL NO DOUBT HAVE BRIEFED GARDNER.
5. IT IS VITAL THAT KNOWLEDGE OF THE CONTENTS OF THIS TELEGRAM
SHOULD BE RESTRICTED ON A STRICT NEED TO KNOW BASIS. I AM SURE
THAT YOU WILL UNDERSTAND THE DANGER HERE IN LOCAL POLITICAL TERMS IF IT BECAME KNOWN OR WAS EVEN SUSPECTED THAT I WAS PRIVY TO SUCH DETAILED KNOWLEDGE OF GOVERNMENT THINKING. BUT I BELEIVE
THAT THE IMPORTANCE OF THE ORDER FOR THE UK JUSTIFIES THE MAXIMUM EFFORT BY HMG TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE OPPORTUNITY GIVEN TO US TO SAVE THE DAY.
6.
I SHOULD BE MOST GRATEFUL FOR AN EARLY INDICATION OF YOUR
CHANCES OF PROVIDING HELP. PLEASE ADDRESS TELEGRAM REPLIES PERSONAL TO ME WITH DEDIP CAVEAT. I PLAN TO SHOW THESE TELEGRAMS TO LIPPITT OF THE DOI WHO IS DUE HERE TOMORROW FOR TALKS ON THE CHINA LIGHT AND POWER TRANSMISSION PROJECT. IT MIGHT BE HELPFUL IF YOU WERE ABLE TO SPEAK TO HIM BEFORE HE LEAVES LONDON LATER
TODAY.
MARCH
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