LIKK 027/2.
23 MAR 1984
Private Secretar
RESTRICTED
ра
8162313
FROM: PJ GOULDEN, NEWS
DATE: 22 MARCH 1984
(103)
cc: Mr Clift, HKD
Mr Elliott, FED
Mr Wilson, SED
Mr Hall, Protocol Dept
FAR EAST VISIT: THE PRESS
1.
The Secretary of State has already agreed that there should be a press party. Given the importance of the Peking and Hong Kong legs, I am anxious to ensure that as many as possible of the journalists who will be writing up this story, are with us on the Secretary of State's plane and therefore fully exposed to our briefing. I have discussed with Protocol Department an all-in price which should be attractive to the press. But before I speak to journalists (after the announcement), we need to decide how the press should be handled in Okinawa.
2. Some journalists will drop out after Hong Kong. Some may wish to make their own arrangements between Hong Kong and Seoul. But for the remainder, there are two alternatives:
i)
ii)
to deposit them in another part of the island, well away from the Secretary of State's hotel. There may also be some disgruntlement about second-class treatment etc.
-
to book them in the Secretary of State's hotel and give them some attention - for example a lunch or dinner with the Secretary of State on the understanding that they would not trouble him further and would not write gossip column stories about the weekend.
From the point of view of handling my clients, (ii) would be preferable. But this is very much a matter of the Secretary of State's personal preference. If, however, he prefers to go for (i), we would have to make this clear to the press from the beginning and Protocol Department would need to look for a satisfactory alternative hotel.
The Cauldon
PJ Goulden
RESTRICTED