W(B)L 51-7406
REGISTRY NO.
HKK 21
DRAFT
LETTER
Top Secret.
To:-
Seapot.
Confidential. Restricted.
Unclassified.
Mr. K.W. Cotterill
E.C.G.D.
NOTHING TO BE WRITTEN IN THIS MARGIN
1X2
From
& d
Mr. W.S. Carter
Department
Hong Kong
Zuest
Plu far
Torsign fun
Since Stewart sent you with his letter
of 27 February a copy of Hannam's "Christian"
No 3
telegram, we have been considering, as no
doubt you have yourself, whether there was any merit in the suggestion that we inspire
on the lines such a Parliamentary Question as Hannam
proposed.
I am bound to say that the more
I think about it the less merit I find in t Think
the proposal, and I thought that I should
$
give you my reasoning.
2. [Take in x-x altached].
2.
Of course a telegram is particularly
open to mi sinterpretation but a number of
readings of this telegram have left me with
the impression that the obje ct of the
exercise could well be read as an attempt,if
in the event it is French finance which wins
the day, to put the blame on the Hong Kong
Governmentfor not financing the tunnel
themselves, because they did not think that
it was essential. Whether this is the case
or not (and my impression may well be
unconsciously slanted), I am quite sure
that we could not have such a Question
in Parliament and propose to answer it on
asked
the lines Hannam suggests\without consulting
the Governor. He I think would be even
likelier to place my interpretion on the
matter and if he did we can be sure of his
reaction
position.
る。
Not only can we be sure of his
CONFIDENTIAL
Opposition/
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