TNAG-0020-FCO40-56-Facilities-for-US-Forces-1967 — Page 182

CYPHER CAT A

IMMEDIATE WASHINGTON

TELEGRAM NO 13

SECRET

По.

Тусивец Ree

RECEIVED IN

ARCHIVES No. 63

- JAN1967

+:WB2/1

TO THE FOREIGN OFFICE

-DATED 3 JANUARY 1967

S

57,

SECRET

ADDRESSED TO FOREIGN OFFICE TELEGRAM NO 13 OF 3 JAN

REPEATED

FOR INFORMATION TO HONG KONG SINGAPORE (POLAD) AND PEKING. YOUR TEL NO 18: U.S. NAVAL VISITS.

WE HAVE READ YOUR LAST SENTENCE TO MEAN THAT YOU DO NOT (NOT) WISH US AT THIS STAGE TO BROACH WITH THE AMERICANS THE POSSIBILITY

OF HAVING TO CANCEL ANY OF THESE VISITS, IN VIEW OF THIS WE HAVE NOT (NOT) ASKED ABOUT THE SHIPS' ITINERARIES (UNDERLINE FOLLOWING WORD) EN ROUTE TO HONG KONG (THOUGH THERE WOULD BE NO (NO) DIFFICULTY ABOUT OBTAINING THE INFORMATION), AS THE AMERICANS WOULD AT ONCE REALISE THE DRIFT OF OUR QUESTIONS.

WE PRESUME THAT HONG KONG CAN MORE EASILY OBTAIN THE INFORMATION IN THE COURSE OF ROUTINE EXCHANGES, BUT IF NOT, AND YOU WISH US TO ENQUIRE HERE, PLEASE TELEGRAPH IMMEDIATE.

2. ALTHOUGH THE STATE DEPT REMAIN SYMPATHETIC TO HONG KONG'S

SPECIAL DIFFICULTIES, U.S. MILITARY AUTHORITIES PROBABLY REMAIN EQUALLY CONVINCED OF THE DANGERS OF CONCESSIONS TO CHINESE BLUST- ERING (CF. LAST SENTENCE OF YOUR PARA 1). ANY SUGGESTION OF

CANCELLATION OR POSTPONEMENT IS THEREFORE LIKELY TO BE BEST RECEIVED IF IT IS PUT TO THE AMERICANS BY THE HONG KONG AUTHORITIES IN THE CONTEXT OF THEIR RESPONSIBILITY FOR INTERNAL SECURITY, RATHER THAN IN THE WIDER CONTEXT OF RELATIONS WITH PEKING, OR VIETNAM PEACE TALKS.

3. WITHOUT CONSULTING THEM, OUR BEST GUESS OF LIKELY AMERICAN REACTIONS IS THAT THEY WOULD IN PRESENT CIRCUMSTANCES ACCEPT WITH FAIR GRACE A DECISION TO CANCEL ANY ONE (ONE) OF THE VISITS ON THE BASIS OF GUIDELINE 'E', OF THE THREE, THEY MIGHT WELL BE MOST RELUCTANT TO CANCEL THE VISIT OF THE (UNDERLINE FOLLOWING WORD) LONGBEACH, BECAUSE OF THE WIDER DANGERS OF ESTABLISHING (UNDERLINE FOLLOWING WORD ) DE FACTO DISCRIMINATION BETWEEN NUCLEAR AND OTHER SHIPS,

4. ON THE OTHER HAND, A DECISION AT THIS STAGE TO CANCEL MORE THAN

/ONE

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