CYPHER/CAT A
RA
CONFIDENTIAL
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PRIORITY OTTAWA
TO FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE
PRIORITY OTTAWA TELNO. 27 TO HONG KONG
CONFIDENTIAL [NEUTRAL]
2 APRIL, 1969
ADDSD TO HONG KONG TELNO. 27 OF 2 APRIL 1969 REPTD FOR INFMN TO UKMIS GENEVA (FOR JONES) AND F C 0.
ধ
YOUR TELNO. M109.
[CANADIAN CUSTOMS VALUATION]
FOR DORWARD FROM GRAY.
I TOOK THE OPPORTUNITY WHEN SEEING MACPHERSON (DEPT OF FINANCE) YESTERDAY TO SPEAK ON THE LINES SUGGESTED IN PARA 7 OF OTTAWA TO HONG KONG TELNO. 18, AND I ALSO MADE THE POINTS IN PARA 4 OF THE
UNDER REF.
2.
MACPHERSON SAID THAT THE D.N.R. ACTION HAD BEEN IN RESPONSE TO MASSIVE PRESSURE BY THE TEXTILE INDUSTRY LAST YEAR WHO APPROACHED D.N.R. ON MATTERS OF VALUATION AND THE DEPT OF FINANCE ON MATTERS OF RESTRAINT. MACPHERSON ACKNOWLEDGED THAT D.N.R. HAD BEEN QUOTE HAN HANDED UNQUOTE PARTICULARLY IN NOT SPELLING OUT THE PROCEDURES FOR
HE HAS ASSURED ME APPEAL WHICH HE THOUGHT WERE FIVE IN NUMBER. THAT THERE WAS NO CONCERTED ACTION BETWEEN DEPARTMENTS.
3. I SAID THAT, ALTHOUGH I WAS SURE THAT THE HONG KONG AUTHORITIES AND TRADING INTERESTS WOULD DO ALL THEY COULD TO MAKR MR. BENSON'S VISIT ENJOYABLE AND TO BRING OUT HONG KONG'S CHARM AND INDUSTRIAL VIVACITY, IT SEEMED CERTAIN TO ME THAT MR. BENSON MUST EXPECT TO
MACPHERSON SAID THAT HEAR SOME MENTION OF CURRENT TRADING PROBLEMS.
HE RECOGNIZED THIS AND THAT MR, BENSON WAS ALREADY BEING BRIEFED.
4.
I HOPE THAT I WAS RIGHT IN GUESSING THAT YOU WOULD INTEND TO RELY ON THE APPEARANCE AND SPIRIT OF HONG KONG TO ENGAGE MR. BENSON'S SYMPATHY RATHER THAN TO PRESS HIM HEAVILY AND AT LENGTH ON TRADING
LAST
FF.
8
MEXI
REF.
CONFIDENTIAL
/ MATTERS
RECEIVED IN ARCHIVES No.31 -8 APR 1969
112K6/331/
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