21/9
CONFIDENTIAL
British Embassy
TOKYO
16 October 1970
10
8
Container Bertha at Hong Kong
You will probably be aware that Eir John Nicholson has been in Japan this week for discussions about freight rates in the far mut Freight Conference, and also for talks with other representatives of the Japanese shipping industry. He called on the Minister, erick Ashe, on the morning of 16 October, at his own request, in order to put him in the picture about his visit, and also to have a general discussion about British shipping activities in Japan.
2. At the very beginning of his call, he expressed his thanks for all the assistance and help which he said the Embassy in Tokyo gave on shippingmatters, and said how much he valued the Embassy's co-operation. In reply, the Kinister said that it was pleasing to hear that the British shipping industry valued what we do for them here. He said that we had, however, noticed that over the problem of Wr. Cyana's approach to the Ambassador on the Hong Kong container bertha, there had been some suggestion by CCL in London that the Embassy might perhaps have worked a li tle too hard on Kr. Oyama 's behalf, to the detriment of British shipping intereats. The Minister did not mention Mr. St. Johnstone's name, but he did say that we understood that representatives of OCL had called on the Board of Trade earlier this year (as reported in Goodison's letter (FSR 1147/0) of 11 August to Hugh Cortazzi) and indicated their concern about the mbassy passing on to Hong Kong information about the approach which had been made by Mr. Nishi and Mr. Cyama (Hugh Cortazzi's letter (21/9) of 31 July to you). Sir John Nicholson appeared somewhat surprised to hear this, and said that suspicions on OCL's part were wholly unwarranted and in no way justified. He said, however, tet after returning to London he would look into this and ensure that there was no doubt within the Board of Trade thet CCL believed that the Sabasay had acted correctly over this.
3. Shortly after Sir John Nicholson had left the ŝmbassy, mae-Ɛnith, the Butterfield & Swire representative in Japan who has been dealing with Sir John Nicholson's visit, telephoned me. He said that he was concerned to hear that CCL had expressed some anxiety about the Embassy's actiʊn over the "ishi-Uyama approach, particularly because OCL could only have heard of this through himself, He had been told of their approach to the Ambassador by Hugh Cortazzi and had faithfully reported the details to OL in London. He was very disturbed leat the Ambassy should feel that he had misreported the position and been responsible for the views which OCL had expressed to the Board of Trade. Ï firmly denied that the Embassy had even considered that Mr. kae-Smith might have misreported the position, and said that we had merely heard from the Board of Trade of a call by representatives of
W. B. Willott, Esq., Shipping Policy Division,
on, Board of Trade.
/OCL
CONFIDENTIAL
F.
76
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