TNAG-0382-FCO40-428-Sterling-assets-and-balance-of-payments-of-Hong-Kong-1974 — Page 60

GRS 290 A

PRIORITY

CYPHER/CAT A

CONFIDENTIAL Mr Stuan (HK+10D)

n. Buchana for HK)

hen

OFFICE

Au

ん

me about

FM FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH CREICE 1819 te in incensed

سلامت

CONFIDENTIAL TO PRIORITY HONG KONG TELEGRAM NO 1304 OF 13. DECEMBER. 19731

tons called independent

altitude of th.k

FOR HADDON-CAVE FROM BARRATT. It

مملكة

> he

1973 1 Are

are they soot a

THR

THANK YOU FOR YOUR TELEGRAM NO 1474, WHICH I HAVE DISCUSSED OUR PRESS PEOPLE IN THE TREASURY.

نانه

nis

кажува

no action

2. YOU WILL SEE FROM OUR SEPARATE TELEGRAM THAT THE WEEKEND PRESS HAS STIMULATED P.Q'S CH THIS SUBJECT: WE ARE PROPOSING TO RESPOND ONLY BRIEFLY, IN A DEADPAN WAY, AND ARE HOPEFUL THAT THIS WILL QUIETER THE PRESENT INTEREST WITHOUT MUCH MORE ADO. 3. IN THE CIRCUMSTANCES, WE THINK THAT THE BEST WAY OF DEALING WITH THE SUNDAY TIMES NONSENSE IS TO IGNORE IT. THE RISK IS THAT A RESPONSE ON THE LINES YOU PROPOSE WOULD STIMULATE FURTHER EDITORIAL COMMENT TO JUSTIFY WHAT HAS ALREADY BEEN WRITTEN. THE FEELING HERE IS THAT. CRAWFORD, THE ECONOMIC EDITOR OF THE SUNDAY TIMES, WOULD BE TEMPTED TO REGARD YOUR LETTER AS CONFIRMING THAT HE HAD TUMBLED ONTO SOMETHING IMPORTANT,

WE WOULD THEREFORE COUNSEL ACAINST YOUR PROPOSED LETTER, BUT WILL OF COURSE GIVE A DISCREET STEER ON THE LINES OF YOUR DRAFT # ANY SUITABLE INFORMAL CONTACT WITH THE PRESS.

DOUGLAS-HOME

FILES

HKIOD

FRD

COPIES TO

MR.D.A.WALKER TREASURY MR. BARRETT

争

HONG KONG GOVT OFFICE 6 GRAFTON ST

LONDON

PARLY UNIT PS/MR.ROYLE

SIR.D.WATSON MR.YOUDE MR.MARSHALL MR.HOLLAND

CONFIDENTIAL

Entert pa вык

28/12

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