TNAG-0151-FCO40-187-Exports-of-cotton-textiles-to-Canada-1969 — Page 63

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2. MACPHERSON SAID THAT THE CANADIANS FOUND IT HARD TO UNDER-

STAND WHY YOU HAD NOW REJECTED 19 AUGUST, WHICH WAS THE

DAE YOU HAD YOURSELF PROPOSED. IT WOULD BE QUITE IMPOSSIBLE

FOR HOWARTH TO COME TO HONG KONG ON 12 AUGUST AS THAT WAS THE

DAY ON WHICH HE RETURNED FROM LEAVE. THE CANADIANS WERE ALSO IN

SOME DIFFICULTIES AS HOWARTH HAD MADE PROVISIONAL PLANS TO VISIT

SOME OTHER ASIAN COUNTRIES ON HIS WAY BACK FROM HONG KONG.

3. I UNDERTOOK TO REPORT TO YOU THE DIFFICULT SITUATION IN

WHICH THE CANADIANS NOW FOUND THEMSELVES, AS SEEN FROM HERE IT

WOULD SEEM HELPFUL IN MAINTAINING THE GOOD RELATIONS YOU HAVE WITH THE CANADIANS TO GIVE THEM A FULLER EXPLANATION AS TO WHY

19 AUGUST IS NO LONGER PRACTICABLE, IF THIS IS INDEED REALLY THE

CASE.

I WARNED MACPHERSON, HOWEVER, THAT I HAD SEEN A COPY OF

FCO TELEGRAM MO. 492 TO HONG KONG ABOUT CONSULTATIONS BETWEEN

HONG KONG AND THE FCO, WHICH MIGHT WELL HAVE SOME BEARING ON THE

DATES OF YOUR CONSULTATIONS WITH THE CANADIANS WITH THE CANAD-

IANS. I DID NOT, OF COURSE, GO INTO ANY DETAILS OF THE CONTENTS

OF THAT TELEGRAM.

SIR C CROWE

FILES

TONG KONG D. COMMODITIES D. TR. POL. D.

[REPEATED AS REQUESTED TO HONG KONG]

CONFIDENTIAL