TNAG-0022-FCO40-58-Facilities-for-US-Forces-1968 — Page 142

RECEIVED IN

ARCHIVES No.21

17 JUN 1968

CYPH.R/CAT A

CONFIDENTIAL

FLASI HONG ỐNG

TO COMMONWEALTH OFFICE

208

TOP (COPY

COPY AND HI

TLE AM NO.762

CONFIDENTIAL

15 JUNE 1968

ADDRESSED CO TELNO 762 OF 15TH JUNE RFI PEKING PA SINGAPORE AND

WASHINGTON.

204A

PEKING TELEGRAM 562: U.S. NAVAL VISITS.

'

''TICONDEROGA WILL HAVE TO SAIL FROM SUBIC (WHERE SHE ARRIVES

TODAY) FOR HONG KONG ON 17TH JUNE IF SHE IS TO CARRY OUT HER

VISIT AS PLANNED. THE AMERICANS HERE ARE PRESSING FOR AN URGENT

DECISION. NEWS OF THE PROPOSED VISIT MUST CERTAINLY BE KNOWN IN

TOWN AT THIS LATE STAGE.

2. SINCE THE DEPARTURE OF ENTERPRISE ON 30TH MAY A TOTAL OF TEN,

REPEAT TEN, U.S. NAVAL VESSELS HAVE VISITED HONG KONG. FROM 6TH

TJ 10TH JUNE THERE WAS ONLY ONE U.S. SHIP IN PORT. THE MAXIMUM

NUMBER OF SHIPS PRESENT AT ANY ONE TIME HAS BEEN SIX. THIS IS

A VERY LOW LEVEL OF VISITS (THERE WERE 17 SHIP VISITS IN THE

#

FORT HIGHT PRIOR TO THE ARRIVAL OF ENTERPRISE'D AND, THOUGH IT

IS NO DOUBT PARTLY DICTATED BY OPERATIONAL REQUIREMENTS I HAVE

NO DOUBT THAT THE AMERICANS ARE DELIBERATELY EXERCISING RESTRAINT.

3. THERE IS SOME DANGER THAT THE COMMUNISTS MAY CONCLUDE FROM

THIS THAT WE HAVE YIELDED TO THE PRESSURE WHICH THEY EXENTED WHILE

'ENTERPRISE WAS HERE. FOR THIS REASON I WOULD NOT WISH TO ALTER

203) THE RECOMMENDATION IN PARAGRAPH 9 OF MY TELEGRAH 73, PARTICULARLY

AS THERE HAS: BEEN NO, REPEAT 10, MENTION OF U.S. NAVAL VISITS IN

THE COMMUNIST P.ESS SINCE 'ENTERPRISE'

(205).

#1

'ENTERPRISE LEFT HONG KONG.

SINCE ABOVE WAS DRAFTED, YOUR TELEGRAM 1150 CMURRAY TO POLITICAL

ADVISER) HAS BEEN RECEIVED. I WILL WARN AMERICANS APPROVAL MAY BE

WITHHELD BUT I GREATLY HOPE A DECISION CAN BE REACHED BEFORE 17TH

JUNE.

FO PLEASE PASS 1.MEDIATE PEKING 290 AND ROUTINE

SIR D. TRENCH

[REPEATED AS REQUESTED/

DEPARTMENTAL DISTRIBUTION

C.O. H.K.DEPT

DEFENCE DEPT

F.E. & P..

NEWS DEPT

F.0. F.E.U.

F.0. DEFENCE DEPT

S.E.A.D. AMERICAN DEPT P.U.S.D.

NEWS DEPT

DIS.M.O.D.

CONFIDENTIAL

WAS.LAGTON

ON 81.

ADVANCE COPIES SENT

204A

ཝཱ』་

205