TNAG-0032-FCO40-68-Relations-with-China-1968 — Page 21

(b) obtaining some assurance that such an act

of clemency would secure the release of

Mr. Grey. There would seem to be no way of

overcoming this latter difficulty.

he are still, however, at stage (a).

14. If we have not secured the release of

r. Grey by the beginning of November, we

Consider with

shall have to feeido-wh-the- the Governor Whether such should nevertheless be granted should nevertheless want only fo

Tull

ssion

allowed

remittance and let him out, in the hope that

this might conceivably bring about the release

of Grey. On the other hand, we might well be

criticised if, with Mr. Grey still in the

hands of the Chinese, we let Hsueh out before

his full sentence þad expired, and it might be

argued that his continued detention provided

us with means of pressure on the Chinese either

to release Mr. Grey or to get into negotiations

with us about it. But this is a problem for

later.

15. At this stage the need is to review the

situation with the Governor. If as a result

of that review, an act of clemency is still

considered to be out of the question, the most

that we shall be able to reply to Mr. Long is

that we are constantly on the watch for

opportunities to help Mr. Grey and will

continue to do so, but that an act of clemency,

while always under consideration, would not

him

necessarily help ry and would in our

view be premature.