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**PARTICULARLY ́SINCE THE
„REUTERS REPORT WILL PROVOKE CLOSE QUESTIONING. THE AMERICANS
AND OTHER POTENTIAL HOST COUNTRIES WOULD BE UPSET, THE PRACTICAL
CONSEQUENCES FOR HONG KONG AT LEAST WOULD BE SERIOUS. I WOULD
PROBABLY HAVE TO EXPRESS PUBLICLY THIS GOVERNMENT'S DISAPPOINTMENT
WHEN THE DECISION WAS ANNOUNCED. IT WOULD ALL BE MOST DISTASTEFUL
AND DISAPPOINTING AFTER THE INITIATIVE OF CALLING FOR THE CONFERENCE AND THE WIDE INTEREST IN A SOLUTION IT HAS GENERATED.
5. SO COULD YOU NOT SIMPLY MAKE HMG'S PLEDGE 10,000 WITHOUT
REFERRING TO TIMING ? IN ANSWER TO QUESTIONS THE REUTERS REPORT
COULD BE DENIED, BUT IT COULD BE SAID THAT THE TIME FOR RESETTLEMENT COULD NOT BE FORESEEN SINCE IT WOULD NEED CAREFUL
HANDLING IN THE UK'S CIRCUMSTANCES, WOULD DEPEND ON THE NUMBER OF
REFUGEES OPTING FOR THE UK AND THEIR SUITABILITY, AND ON
WHAT ADMINISTRATION PROBLEMS INDIVIDUAL CASES PRESENTED. IT COULD
WELL TAKE MORE THAN A YEAR, BUT HMG WOULD ACT AS QUICKLY AS WAS
PRACTICABLE.
6. I DO NOT THINK IT WOULD AFFECT THE ATTITUDE OF OTHER POTENTIAL
HOST COUNTRIES, AND PARTICULARLY THE US, IF THE PROCESS STRETCHED
TO 18 MONTHS OR A LITTLE MORE. THEY TOO WILL HAVE THEIR PROBLEMS.
BUT INEVITABLY THE RATE OF OFF-TAKE WILL BE WATCHED AND IF THE
UK APPEARS TO BE DELIBERATELY LAGGING THE US WILL COMPLAIN AND
CUT ITS OFF-TAKE ACCORDINGLY. BUT EVEN SUCH A POSSIBILITY WOULD-
BE PREFERABLE TO A PUBLIC ROW AND DISILLUSIONMENT NOW.
7. I HOPE THE QUESTION OF PRINCIPLE CAN BE LEFT OPEN IN ANY
PUBLIC STATEMENT UNTIL I HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO DISCUSS IN LONDON
ON TUESDAY.
MACLEHOSE
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