TNAG-0022-FCO40-58-Facilities-for-US-Forces-1968 — Page 34

seek their agreement to a revision of the inter-

pretative notes on the guide lines as follows:

(a) Visits of nuclear vessels should be spaced

at intervals of at least two months and the pre-

sent level of four a year should not in general

be exceeded. Strictly interpreted this would

mean that there should be no further visits by

nuclear vessels this year. But as this might be

erroneously interpreted by local Communists as a

complete suspension of such visits and exploited

accordingly, we are prepared to consider one

further visit in 1968.

(b) There should be no potentially controversial

visits in the two-week period following the

visit of a nuclear-powered vessel, strike carr-

ier, or helicopter or troop carrier.

(c) The Americans should give us the maximum

possible notice of the visits of major ships.

(a) Visits by "particularly controversial ships"

(defined as those which are nuclear-powered)

might in future last less than five days.

(e) Any future visit by the USS "Enterprise"

will have to be subject to the most careful

consideration.

(1) The need to avoid the undue concentration

of ships at any one time (Tomkins' letter from Washington of 12 July to Wilkinson).should be re-

emphasised. (g) It is desirable not to allow the dates of

ships' visits to be known longer in advance than

is absolutely necessary.

4. In view of your comment in paragraph 10 of

your telegram under reference we see no need to

raise the question of guide line F regarding

the placing of military contracts in Hong Kong.

SECRET