TNAG-0024-FCO40-60-Visits-by-nuclear-powered-ships-1968 — Page 109

HWB.2/2

MR. CARTER

10

221 Mary way" Jane.

not wort

знати

Ch

Flease see (5) and the Foreign Office reply at (7). (5) was copied to the Atomic Energy Authority, the Board of Trade and the Navy Department, but so for only the Foreign Office and the Atomic Energy Authority have replied. I have, however, spoken to the other two who have promised to do their best to hurry things up.

2.

4.

-

On the points raised by the Foreign Office in (7):

(1) I doubt if we would have strong political grounds

for objecting to the proposed visit of the "SAVANNAH" to Hong Kong, if such a visit were considered in isolation. But if the proposal is considered together with the proposed visit of the "BAINBRIDGE" (19th 24th May), the visit could cause trouble. The file on the latter subject is at present with you. The point about such visits taking place in the North East monsoon period was raised by the Governor in 1965 ( (1) on FED.289/400/08) and the Atomic Energy Authority took the same view at that time((6) on the same file), but in fact I think that this is more a political than a technical point.

(2) The publicity question is one of much more importance and if political clearance is to be given for the "SAVANNAH's proposed visit, it would need to be tied to conditions for minimum publicity. Such conditions could well nullify the whole point of the visit from the Americans' point of view.

(3) The proposal by the Foreign Office that the question of

political clearance should be dealt with first is, I think, the correct one in terms of the time table. But it would seem advisable for the two questions (the BAINBRIDGE and the SAVAINAL) to be considered together at our meeting this afternoon at the Foreign Office.

The liability and safety aspects will also have to be tied up:

We do not yet know, for example, whether a U.K. monitoring team can be made available and judging by previous papers this appears to be a sine que non. The indications are that a team will be available.

(4.4. Gaminara)

3rd May, 1967.