five
I advised against a visit to air publicly his views, but he asked me to pass on his "offer" to the Governor: and this I now do.
12.
Adley again mentioned the fact that he spent a lot of time in the Foreign Office and the Chinese Embassy. He said
"In the strictest confidence I can tell you that some members of the Foreign Office applaud what I say: they want me to go on saying what I see to be the truth about Hong Kong but of course, would disown me if it were ever said that I was speaking for the Foreign Office." I said that I found this very difficult to believe and he replied simply, "I assure you that I see a lot of Richard Luce and Geoffrey Howe.
13.
!!
Later, as he was saying goodbye to me, I said I still found it impossible to believe that Richard Luce, whom I liked and admired, or Sir Geoffrey Howe would be party to this sort of thing. Adley replied that Richard Luce was a "good diplomat" and fully appreciated that sooner or later Hong Kong people would have to realise the facts of life; and that in the long run it would be helpful if Adley continued to make these public statements. I repeated that I found this not only extraordinary but totally unbelievable - to which he said, "Well, don't forget, this is very much between you and me!"
14.
I have told Dick Clift of today's conversation with Adley, and am now also copying this letter to him.
JC/svs
c.c. Mr. R.D. Clift, FCO.
l
(Jack Cater),
COMMISSIONER