TNAG-0035-FCO40-71-Relations-with-Macao-1968 — Page 168

CONFIDENTIAL

should result in a territorial dispute with China. If the

situ tion arose that the Portuguese were given only a few

hours to leave Macao, they would need to use all the transport

available, from Hong Kong as well as Macao, if they were to get

away. This was a humanitarian need.

Ma

Mr. Hohler said that he could not depart from the message

he had been instructed to convey to the Portuguese Arbassador on

this point. We would, however, consider his personal

The

representations on the question of transport facilities.

Ambassador said that he would convey Mr. Hohler's message to his

Government.

До The Ambassador said, gain speaking personally, that he had

found much difficulty in explaining to his Government why such

a simple request for help had taken so long for us to cnswer and

had been hedged about with a number of detailed conditions.

Mr. Hobler explained to him that there had been no reluctance

at all to help the Portuguese Governreat in this matter, but that

conditions in Britain differed somewhat from those in other

countries and that our practice was to try to work with our friends

in advance

!

to dispose of possible difficulties teeth.

Х

(E. Bollan)

18 Janu ry, 1967

CONFIDENTIAL