TNAG-0112-FCO40-148-Detainees-and-prisoners-following-19671968-disturbances-1969 — Page 119

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4. AS REGARDS THE IMMEDIATE PROBLEM OF HOW MRS GREY SHOULD BE

ADVISED TO REPLY TO GREY, WE SUGGEST IT SHOULD BE ALONG THE

FOLLOWING LINES:

QUOTE TEN OF THE ELEVEN REMAINING NEWSWORKERS ARE DUE OUT, IF THEY BEHAVE, WITH FULL REMISSION IN SEPTEMBER 1969. UNFORTUNATELY THE

ELEVENTH IS NOT DUE OUT WITH FULL REMISSION UNTIL FEBRUARY 1971.

BUT WE WOULD ALL HOPE THAT THE PROBLEM WOULD BE RESOLVED LONG

BEFORE THEN. UNQUOTE.

5. DO YOU AGREE? IF SO, WE WOULD TAKE REUTERS GENERALLY INTO OUR

CONFIDENCE WITHOUT OF COURSE GOING INTO DETAILS AND LEAVE IT TO

THEM TO PERSUADE MRS GREY TO ACCEPT THIS FORMULATION, FOR THE MOMENT,

REUTERS HAVE PERSUADED MRS GREY NOT TO GIVE PUBLICITY TO THE

CONTENTS OF THE LETTER REFERRED TO IN PARAGRAPH 1s

6. WE REALISE THAT IF THE CHINESE DECAME AWARE OF AN INTENTION ON

OUR PART TO COMMUTE THE SENTENCE OF THE ELEVENTH NEWSWORKER IN

SEPTEMBER, THEY MIGHT BE ENCOURAGED TO HANG ON TO GREY UNTIL THEN

BUT WE DOUBT WHETHER THE CHINESE WOULD BE ABLE TO DEDUCE SUCH AN

INTENTION FROM THE FORM OF WORDS SUGGESTED ABOVE.

ON THE OTHER HAND, WE HOPE THAT GREY WILL NOT FIND THE FORMULATION

TOO DISCOURAGING.

STEWART.

FILES

FAR EASTERN DEPT.

HONG KONG DEPT.

MR. MORETON

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