TNAG-0022-FCO40-58-Facilities-for-US-Forces-1968 — Page 40

Disruption of the schedule has a severe

effect on morale.

While the Americans have

accepted recent cancellations with sympathy the Governor believes they are concerned at this development and that it is lowering their opinion of us. The Governor dwells heavily

on the administrative difficulties caused for the Americans by recent attempts to place a gap between the visits of major units and draws attention to their need for a firm basia on which plan well ahead. The Governor claims that it is we and not the Americans who are

deviating from the guide lines.

for two comments.

- PeThis

calls

Administrative inconvenience

to the Americans is certainly caused by

cancellations at ser short notice and these are regrettable, but I am sure the Governor would be the first to recognise that this inconvenience cannot be weighed strictly in the balance against the major issues of policy at stake in Hong Kong and in our relations with China.

As regards deviation from the

guide lines this is in fact our prescriptive right. The guide lines are drawn up in such a way that we have an absolute right to cancel

any visit at any time. This is an essential

part of the bargain which allows the Americans to use Hong Kong at all and we do not need to feel embarrassed when such visits have to be

cancelled or postponed.

18.