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No
3) Mr Humfries of
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{3/4/1
1. I saw off the twenty-fourth evacuation flight from Ho Chi Minh Ville on 31 January.
2. With the typical efficiency of Air Vietnam I got to the airport at 6.10m and arrived at Ho Chi Minh Ville at 11.00am, just in time to meet the CPA aircraft.
3.
incided.
There
There were no hitches such as laat time's gold sangling ouspaike. were 163 passengers including one infant. An accountant of Immigration Depart- ment had come. He made a rough check on monies paid for the flights up to flight No 20 - US$176,000 approximately.
Included in this was a sum of US$16,700 to be paid directly to the British Trade Commission to cover the cost
This is of tyres, etc supplied through CPA by HAECO and the Avimo detectors. instead of a deduction for landing and other charges owed by CPA to the Vietnamese authorities.
4. Mr Chadderton made two points to Mr Majdeen. As we know, the size of his
Mr Chadderton had been importation of liquor had caused Hong Kong some concern. asked to inform Mr Maideen officially that no further consignments on this scale could be countenanced. He did this in the gentlest possible way. He Haideen did not, happily, lose his temper. I stopped the discussion as quickly as possible. Afterwards Mr Chadderton raised it privately with me.
I said that what we were
dealing with was a man who had all the extravagant habits of a very rich young man even if he were no longer so. As Mr Chadderton knew quite well, this staff It was for Tet was not being either flogged or given to members of the family.
Mr Paideen said as much to me afterwards. purposes and also farewell presentei
5. CPA had also instructed Mr Chidderton to impress upon Ihr Maideen that 162 passengers was their limit. This was in accordance with International Safety Regulations. Mr Maideen retorted that the French carry 180 on their flights. Mr Chadderton said that if certain captains turned up and found 180 passengere waiting, they would refuse to take them and they would be within their rights. I again stopped this discussion. It seems to me largely academic as we are near the end of this exercice and in any case, as Mr Chadderton said, the MAS are quite willing to step in to fill any gap left by CFA.
5.
Mr Maileen proposed For cris Penson, he
There followed a short meeting between ourselves and the Ministry of External
there are Affairs. It was agreed that the next flight should be on 22 February. two French flights next month on the 16th and on the 2rd. to take the latter flight to Hong Kong for a fortnight. hopes that Miss Luke will go down to ilo Chi Minh Ville on the 21st and leave The propose 1 immediately after the departure of the CPA flight on the 22nd. flight for 1 March must now be postponed until the 15th owing to Mr Maidoen's absence. However, exact dates of future flights will be agreed between
·Mr Maideen and the Vietnamese authoritien. In any case, Mr Maideen said that there would be no passengers as they would have wangled themselves reats on the French flights.
CONFTOMPTLAL
/7. Mr Maideen