55
PRIORITY
CYPHER CAT/A
FM HONG KONG 140129Z
SECRET
RESCEREED IN REGISTRY No. 51
15 APR 1971
ENKKiols HICK
10/9
56)
IOF COPY LOP
TO PRIORITY F.C.O. TELEGRAM NO. 249 OF 14TH APRIL 1971.
48
MY TELEGRAM NO. 226 TO YOU.
LAST
REF.
55
DEFENCE CONTRIBUTION.
NEXT
REF.
I HAVE NOW RECEIVED THE FURTHER COMMUNICATION FROM THE UNOFFICIAL
MEMBERS REFERRED TO IN PARA, 2 OF MY TELEGRAM UNDER REFERENCE.
IT HAS ONLY ONE OPERATIVE PARAGRAPH, AS FOLLOWS, BEGINS:-
''THE UNOFFICIALS CONSIDER THAT THE REPLY OF THE SECRETARY OF
STATE DOES NOT SATISFACTORILY ANSWER MANY OF THE POINTS MADE IN
THEIR MEMORANDUM. IN PARTICULAR THE SECRETARY OF STATE'S
ASSERTION THAT £8.5 MILLION IS THE MINIMUM CONTRIBUTION ACCEPT-
ABLE TO HMG, WITHOUT ANY INDICATION OF ACCEPTANCE OF THE PRINCIPLES IN PARAGRAPHS 13-15 OF THE MEMORANDUM, LEAVES THE
UNOFFICIALS IN NO POSITION TO RECOMMEND THE MAKING OF ANY
VOLUNTARY OFFER IN ACCORDANCE WITH PARAGRAPH 15 THEREOF '' ENDS.
+
محمد
2. ON RECEIPT OF THIS LETTER, I ARRANGED TO MEET ALL THE UNOFFICIAL MEMBERS ON THURSDAY, 8TH APRIL (BEFORE RECEIPT OF YOUR TELEGRAM NO. 266) IN ORDER TO OBTAIN FURTHER CLARIFICATION AND MAKE AS MANY OF THE POINTS IN YOUR TELEGRAM NO. 235 AS I WAS ABLE TO INTRODUCE. IT WAS CONFIRMED AT THE MEETING THAT THERE ARE TWO MAJOR STICKING-POINTS. THE FIRST IS THAT THEY SEEK
SOME SPECIFIC ACCEPTANCE OF THE PRINCIPLES PUT FORWARD IN PART 111
OF THEIR ORIGINAL MEMORANDUMN PARTICULARLY AS REGARDS THE POINTS .
MADE PRIVATELY TO ME BY SIR ALBERT RODRIGUES AND REPORTED IN
PARAGRAPH 2 OF MY TELEGRAM UNDER REFERENCE. THE SECOND IS THAT
THEY ARE NOT PREPARED TO SUGGEST ANY FIGURE UNLESS IT IS OPEN
TO THEM TO MAKE IT FREELY, WHICH INSISTENCE ON A MINIMUM OF
£8.5 MILLION PREVENTS THEM FROM DOING.
444
/3. ADDITIONALLY,
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