PRIORITY
CYPHER CAT/A
FM HONG KONG 0294552
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TO PRIORITY F.C.O. TELEGRAM NO. 367 OF 2ND JUNE 1971.
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YOUR TELEGRAMS NOS. 385 AND 386 TO ME.
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93 ) 2 ( 125
DEFENCE CONTRIBUTION.
MESSAGE AND ANNEXE WERE PASSED TO UNOFFICIAL MEMBERS OF EXECUTIVE COUNCIL ON 25TH MAY. TEXT OF REPLY WHICH WAS RECEIVED ON 27TH
MAY IS CONTAINED IN MY TELEGRAM NO. 368. I WAS INFORMED THAT MEMBERS WOULD LIKE TO DISCUSS FURTHER AFTER EXECUTIVE COUNCIL MEETING ON 1ST JUNE.
2. AT THAT MEETING MEMBERS AGREED TO MY SUGGESTION THAT I THOUGHT FURTHER DISCUSSION OUGHT TO TAKE PLACE IN COUNCIL, RATHER THAN AFTER THE MEETING WITH UNOFFICIAL MEMBERS ONLY, IN ORDER THAT I MIGHT HAVE AN INDICATION OF COUNCIL'S VIEWS AS SUCH BEFORE LEAVING FOR LONDON. 1 TOLD MEMBERS THAT I SAW NO PROSPECT OF AGREEMENT
ON THE BASIS OF THEIR PROPOSAL, ALTHOUGH I WOULD CONVEY IT TO YOU SEM! COLON POINTING OUT INTER ALIA THAT EXTENSION TO 7 YEARS MEANT THE INCLUSION OF A FURTHER £2.5 MILLION IN CAPITAL WORKS.
3. A GENERAL DISCUSSION FOLLOWED FROM WHICH IT WAS CLEAR THAT PERHAPS THE MAIN OBJECTIONS AROSE FROM UNOFFICIAL MEMBERS CONVIC- TION THAT ANY INCREASE MATERIALLY ABOVE THAT THEY HAD PROPOSED WOULD AROUSE SUCH PUBLIC OPPOSITION THAT IT WOULD BE IMPOSSIBLE FOR LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TO VOTE THE FUNDS WITHOUT RECOURSE TO THE OFFICIAL MAJORITY, WHICH WOULD AROUSE PUBLIC OPINION EVEN FURTHER. ALTHOUGH THEY THOUGHT AN INCREASE MATERIALLY GREATER THAN THAT THEY PROPOSED EXCESSIVE, AND WERE ADAMANT THAT £8.5 MILLION PER ANNUM COULD NOT BE SUPPORTED, IT WAS STILL NOT SO MUCH THE MONEY BUT THE PUBLIC REACTION WHICH GAVE RISE TO THEIR CHIEF OBJECTIONS.
AR DİYED
REGISTRY No.51
- 3 JUN 1971
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