TNAG-0022-FCO40-58-Facilities-for-US-Forces-1968 — Page 51

CYPHER/CAT A

CONFIDENTIAL

IMMEDIATE COMMONWEALTH OFFICE

TELEGRAM NUMBER 1332.

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TO HONG KONG

26 JULY 1968. (H.K.D.)

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YOUR TELEGRAM NO. 929: U.S. NAVAL VISITS,

FOLLOWING FOR POLITICAL ADVISER FROM MURRAY.

WE ARE RECOMMENDING TO MINISTERS THAT THERE SHOULD BE NO REPEAT NO GENERAL REVIEW OF THE GUIDELINES BUT THAT THE INTERPRETATIVE NOTES SHOULD BE AMENDED AND EXPANDED TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THE POINTS IN PARAGRAPH 2 (B) TO (D) OF HY TELEGRAM NO. 1252. r (2) 2. IN ADDITION, WE ARE RECOMMENDING THAT (A) VISITS OF NUCLEAR SHIPS SHOULD NOT EXCEED THE LEVEL OF PREVIOUS YEARS, 1.E. FOUR VISITS A YEAR. TO AVOID ANY ERRONEOUS CONCLUSION BY LOCAL COMMUNISTS THAT VISITS OF NUCLEAR SHIPS HAVE BEEN SUSPENDED, THE NEXT YEARLY PERIOD MIGHT BE RECKONED FROM 1 JULY, THUS PERMITTING ONE OR AT A MAXIMUM TWO MORE VISITS IN 1968. (B) THE REFERENCE IN GUIDELINE D TO THE MEED TO AVOID THE UNDUE CONCEN- TRATION OF SHIPS AT ANY ONE TIME SHOULD BE UNDERLINED (TOMKINS* LETTER TO WILKINSON OF 12 JULY),– (240)

3. IF THIS RECOMMENDATION IS ACCEPTED THERE WOULD BE NO OBJECTION, TO THE PROGRAMME OF VISITS PROPOSED IN YOUR TELEGRAFT NO. 965. — (215) UNFORTUNATELY WE ARE NOT LIKELY TO BE ABLE TO OBTAIN

FINAL MINISTERIAL AGREEMENT BEFORE 31 JULY, WE THEREFORE SUGGEST - WITH APOLOGIES FOR THE INCONVENIENCE THAT THE COMMODORE'S REPRESENTATIVE SHOULD INDICATE THAT WE HOPE TO ACCEPT THE PROGRAMME SUBJECT TO CONFIRMATION BY THE END OF NEXT WEEK.

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