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at a later stage. (You are the only person on
our side outside government who has been taken
into confidence about the details of these
matters). All this the Chinese, in their
intransigence, have refused.
You refer to the question of Grey's
health. He has certainly conducted himself!
with great robustness and fortitude, and much
good sense. I readily admit that he has in a
way been penalised for those qualities. He
has been called upon to put up with a great
deal on our behalf; and I assure you that this
is well recognised both here and in Hong Kong.
As you must know, had there been evidence of
a collapse of his physical and mental health,
we should have been faced with very serious
'decisions indeed, There might indeed have
been an argument on humanitarian considerationa
of the most pressing kind for sacrificing what
I regard as the national interest.
We are,
however, talking here hypothetically; it is
'fortunately the case that Grey remains in
reasonably good health and spirits.
In reply finally to the question which
you pose in very human terms at the end of
your letter, I can only sum up. I feel very
deoply for Grey, and I deplore the ordeal to
which he has been subjected through circum-
stances entirely beyond his own control. In
efforts to put an end to that ordeal I have
gone as far as my judgment of my wider
responsibilities would permit me. But the
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