TNAG-0020-FCO40-56-Facilities-for-US-Forces-1967 — Page 126

CONFIDENTIAL

the scale of visits should be unobtrusive and

tay place by easy stages.

tal jplace

The American

request in November followed closely on

a previous increase in the number of

servicemen allowed to visit Hong Kong and

was considered by the Governor to be

insufficiently unobtrusive; and

(b) the Governor considered that to agree

to the number of servicemen suggested by

the Americans would put a disproportionate

burden on Hong Kong's hotel space and

might therefore cause adverse press and

public reactions.

4. The present American request is more

wit

acceptable; some time has now elapsed since

the last increase in numbers and in the

intervening period the programme of visits has

not been the subject of criticism in the local

Left-wing Press or from Peking. Fortunately

the American servicemen have been extremely

well-behaved. The Governor of Hong Kong has

reappraised the position on

also reassessed his previous opinion about?

hotel accommodation and now considers that the

numbers suggested would not pose an unacceptable

burden. -It is encouraging that the Americane

apparently considered 996 men to be their

final target and if we agree to this figure now

we perhaps have a better chance of getting them

to stick to it.

5. There is always the possibility that some

incident might occur in Hong Kong which would

cause Peking or the local Left-wing Press to

úna s plovimento

make a fuss about American visits, The

Governor's caution that we should first agree

to an increase to 830 and leave ourselves free

The increases involved It is also love teton

this

Afforence & degree (o.a. from W to it plase loads) wand be diffult I detect and rairy no new

mo pope

paint-1

particularly at a the if emotional excrement

China such as

I However we have no

but we

how

reason to believe that The Chimere deliberely intend to make

difficultier for Hong Kong.

FIDENTIAL.

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