TNAG-0422-FCO40-468-Construction-of-an-underground-railway-system-in-Hong-Kong-1973 — Page 80

HOFO 02/27

00 FCO

GRS 210

CYPHER CAT A

AN

FM HONGKONG 2712157

RESTRICTED

n.

ኪ.

ADVANCE COPY

нков EPD

TRD

FRD

40

ECGD

44

D.O

(D.T.I.]

28.0

TO IMMEDIATE DTI TELEGRAM NUMBER CREDA 18 OF 27 FEB INFO PRIORITY

FCO ECGD.

FOR GLAVES-SMITH (OPG) AND CRE(2) FCO FOR STUART (HKIOD) AND FINLAYSON (EPD) ECGD FOR FELL FROM ASTON.

M.T.S.

WEEDON AND I HAVE NOW HAD DISCUSSIONS WITH CLAGUE ON BASIS

OF MY CREDA 12. HE HAS SINCE ALSO HAD BRIEF WORD WITH F.S.

2.

LATTER HAS RECONFIRMED TO HIM THAT HE ENVISAGES AT LEAST TWO AND PROBABLY THREE FURTHER ROUNDS. FIRST ROUND MAY BE SPARRING, ESPECIALLY OVER PRICE BUT HE REITERATED THAT HE MUST

HAVE SOME INDICATION OF PRICE BEFORE MAKING HIS RECOMMENDATION

IN APRIL.

3. IN VIEW OF REPEATED REQUESTS FROM BRITISH GROUP CLAGUE EXPLORED POSSIBILITY OF CHANGING DATE OF OUR FIRST INNINGS

SO AS TO GET US NEAR LAST. ANSWER - AS EXPECTED - WAS THAT

THIS WOULD CAUSE IRRITATING INCONVENIENCE AND IS NOT NECESSARY.

F.8. REASSURED HIM THAT THERE WILL BE ADEQUATE **LAST WORD''

CHANCES.

4. UNDERSTAND GROUP ARE NOW CONSIDERING TIMETABLE, TACTICS

AND COMPOSITION OF TEAM. CLAGUE ENDORSES VIEW OF WEEDON AND MYSELF

THAT EVEN IF FIRST ROUND IS SPARRING THE TEAM SHOULD BE HIGH

POWERED (1.E. NO.2 LEVEL) IN ALL DEPARTMENTS. I CONSIDER THIS

APPLIES EQUALLY TO ECGD WHO MAY BE UNDER PARTICULAR PRESSURE IN

FIRST ROUND AND NEED TO SPEAK TO F.S. WITH DIRECT AUTHORITY.

ASTON

NNNN

SENT AT 28/

SENT AT 27/23272 RD