TNAG-0022-FCO40-58-Facilities-for-US-Forces-1968 — Page 98

CONFIDENTIAL

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3. THE LOCAL SITUATION LAST YEAR AND MORE ESPECIALLY SINO-BRITISH

RELATIONS WITHIN CHINA RECENTLY HAVE LED TO MORE REFERENCES TO

YOU ABOUT VISITS OF THE LARGER SHIPS, DESPITE THEIR BEING WITHIN

THE GUIDELINES. IN THE EVENT AS MANY AS FOUR SUCH VISITS HAVE

BEEN CANCELLED OR POSTPONED IN THE LAST TWO MONTHS. ALTHOUGH

WASHINGTON ACCEPTS THE SITUATION SYMPATHETICALLY, THE AMERICANS HERE ARE VERY CONCERNED AT THIS DEVELOPMENT AT A TIME OF APPARENT

QUIET AND IT IS CERTAINLY NOT HELPING THEIR OPINION OF US CIT

HAS TO BE REMEMBERED THAT EVEN AT THE HEIGHT OF LAST YEAR'S

TROUBLES AMERICAN SAILORS COULD MOVE ABOUT IN HONG KONG, EVEN

AT NIGHT. QUITE UNMOLESTED).

4.

ANOTHER DEVELOPMENT CAUSING THE AMERICANS CONCERN IS THE

APPARENT NEW INTERPRETATION OF CAREFUL SPACING'. HITHERTO,

EXCEPT FOR THE LIMIT OF ONE A MONTH FOR CARRIERS AND 12 SHIPS

AT ANY ONE TIME, THIS HAS ALWAYS BEEN ACCEPTED SIMPLY AS MEANING

''NO OVERLAPPING OF MAJOR UNITS". EMPHASIS NOW SEEMS TO BE BEING

PUT ON A NEED TO INCREASE THE GAP BETWEEN VISITS OF MAJOR UNITS.

INSISTENCE ON ANY SIGNIFICANT GAP WILL ADD GREATLY TO THE SCHEDULING

PROBLEMS OF THE SEVENTH FLEET AND ELIMINATE SOME SHIPS FROM THE

CHANCE TO VISIT HONG KONG.

5. I HAVE SET OUT THESE CONSIDERATIONS AT LENGTH BECAUSE I

DOUBT IF THE AMERICANS' PRESENT DIFFICULTIES OR THE EFFECT OF

POSSIBLE FURTHER RESTRICTIONS ARE GENERALLY APPRECIATED: THEY ARE NOT NECESSARILY ARGUMENTS AGAINST ADDITIONAL RESTRICTIONS. WHAT THE AMERICANS SEEK IS A FIRM BASIS ON WHICH THEY CAN PLAN

WELL AHEAD, WITHOUT RISK CAPART FROM UNFORSEEN OR EXEPTIONAL

CIRCUMSTANCES) OF UNCERTAINTY OR SHORT NOTICE CANCELLATIONS, 1.E.

A RETURN TO THE NORMAL APPLICATION OF THE GUIDELINES, WHETHER

REVISED OR NOT. AT PRESENT IT IS WE, NOT THEY, WHO ARE DEVIATING

FROM THE GUIDELINES.