30th January, 1969
уч
HONG KONG TUNNEL
Many thanks for your letter of 22nd January about the Cross Harbour Tunnel.
In fact at the material times I was attending a series of meetings which started on the 6th January in Bangkok and finished in New Delhi only last weekend, so I am not entitled to a personal apology.
In my absence John Gowers has been trying to get the various issues cleared with E.C.G.D. and the others concerned and has taken every opportunity to emphasise the importance of your having some defensive briefing. If this was not given, I am sure it was only because the complicated questions were themselves not settled. I understand things have now sorted themselves out and you will be receiving, if you have not already done so, a revised statement of the position.
I can assure you we are all very conscious of the explosive nature of this issue. There are those at this end who feel equally emotionally and lose no opportunity of impressing on us the conse- quences which might in certain circumstances ensue. There is of course no question of playing politics. We are simply trying to form a reasonable commercial judgment of the risk but without losing sight of the wider considerations.
✓
I am copying to Carter and Cotterill.
41
(A.F.Toms)
M.P.V. Hannam, Esq.,
British Trade Commission,
HONG KONG.
6961 V2-
N ЅЭЛІНОУ
ОЗЛЕЗ
རྨ་་
VED IN VOC No.31
1369
HKIL 21/4
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