TNAG-0425-FCO40-471-Construction-of-an-underground-railway-system-in-Hong-Kong-1973 — Page 110

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IMMEDIATE

CYPHER/CAT A

FROM HONG KONG 1912102

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TOP CORY

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TO IMMEDIATE F C O TELNO 1324 OF 19TH NOVEMBER, 1973.

PERSONAL FOR MR. RO YLE FROM MACLEHOSE.

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ふさい

I SHOULD BE GRATEFUL IF YOU WOULD SHOW MR. WALKER'S

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PERSONAL MESSAGE TO ME TO THE SECRETARY OF STATE AND THE REPLY IN MY FIRST IMMEDIATELY PRECEDING TELEGRAM.

2. I DO NOT THINK ANY OBJECTIVE PERSON COULD FIND IN THE LETTER IN MY TELEVRAM 1316 TO FCO GROUNDS ON WHICH A CLIENT COULD SET AT RISK SO ADVANTAGEOUS AN OFFER AS THAT MADE BY THE JAPANESE, AND IN A MATTER OF SUCH IMPORTANCE TO HONG KONG'S ECONOMY./

3. I WAS DISTURBED TO HEAR FROM SIR DOUGLAS CLAGUE THAT HE HAD POINTED OUT THE LETTER'S INADEQUACY, BUT WAS TOLD BY HIS LONDON PRINCIPALS THAT THE D.T.I. HAD ASSURED THEM IT WOULD BE SUFFICIENT

IF THE CONSORTIUM IS PREPARED IMMEDIATELY TO SEND OUT A SMALL NEGOTIATING TEAM WITH ADEQUATE POWERS, I HOPE THAT SOMETHING COULD QUICKLY BE WORKED OUT BEFORE DECEMBER 2ND. AFTER ALL, THE SORT OF DOCUMENT REQUIRED BY DECEMBER 2ND IS ONLY A STARTING POINT FOR NEGOTIATIONS, AND DOES NOT COMMIT THE CONSORTIUM IRREVOCABLY IN DETAIL.

5.

IF THEY ARE NOT PREPARED TO DO THIS, ONLY THE POLITICAL ARGU~ MENTS AGAINST NEGOTIATING WITH THE JAPANESE REMAIN. I AM SURE YOU WILL APPRECIATE HOW UNDESIRABLE IT WOULD BE FOR ME TO ATTEMPT TO RELY ON THESE AT THIS STAGE.

6.

IT IS DEPRESSING HOW LITTLE HAS BEEN ACHIEVED SINCE 2 MONTHS AGO I EXPLAINED TO YOU AND ALDINGTON THE WAY THINGS WERE DRIFTING,

I HOPE YOU WILL NOW BE SUCCESSFUL IN URGING THE IMMEDIATE ACTION I RECOMMEND.

MACLEHOSE

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HD H K I OD PS/MR ROYLE SIR D WATSON MR YOUDE

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