TNAG-0058-FCO40-94-Armed-Forces-exercise-Caricature-1967 — Page 44

COS 1098/3/2/67

CNS

CGS

CAS

SECRET

Maj fen. MeNext

Cammengalih.

office

Copy No5...of 75 copies

Ministry of Defence

3rd February 1967

ILF

No Carter

6.

Copy to:

1.

Chief of the Defence Staff Mr R.A. Sykes, Foreign Office Major-General J. M. McNeill,

Commonwealth Office

PS/ S of S

ACDS (S)

Director XP

AUS (Pol)

DS 11

COS Restricted List

EXERCISE CARICATURE

At your meeting (1) on 10th January 1967, during DCDS (I)'s assessment of the situation in China, attention was drawn to a Far East amphibious exercise, Exercise CARICATURE, which is due to take place in Hong Kong between 13th and 21st February 1967. The point was made that there might be some danger of the exercise being misunderstood and even construed as provocative.

2.

I attach, at Annex A, a letter from Sir John Rennie, Foreign Office, in which it is recommended that you should cancel the exercise. In a recent signal (2) the Commander- in-Chief, Far East, said that he would be particularly sorry to see the exercise cancelled prematurely and drew attention to two diplomatic telegrams to and from Hong Kong (3) (4).

3. I have placed this matter on the Agenda for your meeting on Tuesday, 7th February 1967 and will show this minute as relevant.

Annex:

A.

J.H. Gibbon Major-General

Secretary

Chiefs of Staff Committee

Copy of a letter from Sir John Rennie, Foreign Office to AUS (Pol) dated 3rd February 1967. (2 pages)

Notes:

1.

2.

1

ろ。

40

@

COS 2nd Meeting/67, Minute 5.

SEACOS 15.

Commonwealth Office to Hong Kong telegram

No 203 dated 31st January 1967.

Hong Kong to Commonwealth Office telegram

No 153 dated 1st February 1967.

Fage 1 of 3 pages

SECRET