SECRET
INWARD TELEGRAM
TO THE COMMONWEALTH OFFICE
(The Secretary of State)
FROM HONG KONG (0.A.G.)
Cypher
D. 17 July, 1967. R. 17
#
#t
07152
SECRET
No. 1053.
35
COPY FOR REGISTRATION
18
10
JUL 12
1967
WM
་་་
म
(gr)+ (s)
Your telegrams Nos. 1435 and 1436.
Daily Express Article.
22
My telegram No. 988 sets out the sequence of operations at Sha Tau Kok. I think this makes it clear that there was no delay either in taking decisions at each stage or in implementing them. It is of course untrue to say that the Gurkhas were only one and a half miles from Sha Tau Kok at the start of the incident. They were in the Fanling area. C.B.F. and I, who were together in Government House most of the afternoon, were concerned to put out the fire as expeditiously and peacefully as possible without increasing the conflagration. This the Gurkhas achieved. Where-Gale got the idea that we had to refer to you I cannot imagine.
2.
As regards the three allegations:-
(1) is untrue, though military security may make
it impossible for us to say so;
(2) the position is known to you.
There are plans.
for the concentration of Army families in the event of trouble, but it is not one for which in present circumstances we want publicity;
Coe
(3) sets out the doctrine of aid to the civil power
in fact you will now see from my telegram No. 1041 that the situation has been modified by the new arrangements which we have made on the border and I am satisfied that our forward troops know exactly where they stand.
3. You will not expect me to comment on Gale's final argument that we should state Britain's long term policy on Hong Kong.
4. The name dropping by Gale in the article does not, I think, represent anything more than an attempt to give local colour to the article written after a visit by him to Sha Tau Kok. If Gale drew the conclusions he did from his conversations he did so wrongly.
5. There is no interest in Gale's story here though relays have been mentioned in the local Right Wing press but not prominently, and I do not propose to do more than get G.I.S. to give appropriate guidance if they are asked questions. We shall
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