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4. LORD NELSON TOLD ME THAT THE GOVERNOR COMMENTED THAT HE WOULD HAVE LIKED TO SEE BRITAIN AND ONE OR TWO OTHERS JOINED TOGETHER BUT WHEN LORD NELSON RECALLED THAT IT HAD AT ONE STAGE BEEN SUGGESTED THAT UK AND JAPAN JOIN FORCES THE GOVERNOR COMMENTED THAT THAT
WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN SO WELCOME BECAUSE IT WOULD HAVE LEFT HONG
KONG NO CHOICE.
5. WHEN NELSON SAW KESWICK LATTER GAVE NO KIND OF KNOWLEDGE
OF DISCUSSIONS BETWEEN JAPANESE AND GEC. HIS MAIN COMMENT OF INTEREST WAS THAT FOR THE FIRST TIME IN HIS EXPERIENCE HE HAD SEEN JAPANESE
NEGOTIATORS LOOKING WORRIED.
6. WE HAVE HEARD SEPARATELY FROM A JARDINES SOURCE THAT JARDINE ENGINEERING ARE MAKING A STRONG BID TO GET SUB CONTRACT FOR RAILWAY
CARRIAGE ELECTRICS AND AIRCONDITIONING FOR J STONE AND CO FOR
WHOM THEY HAVE AGENCY. ACCORDING TO THE SAME SOURCE THE REUTER STORY REFERRED TO IN MY CREDA 31 HAD CAUSED QUOTE MUCH IRRITATION UNQUOTE IN SOME QUARTERS, INCLUDING SOME OFFICIALS, IN HONG KONG BECAUSE IT WAS QUOTE TOTALLY UNFOUNDED UNQUOTE: SOURCE
HINTED THAT THERE WAS SUPICION THAT BRITISH EMBASSY HAD STARTED
IT IN ORDER TO PUT SPOKE IN THE WHEEL. I FIRMLY REFUTED THE
SUGGESTION.
7. ALL THIS SUGGESTS THAT CONTRARY TO PREVIOUS SUSPICIONS JAPANESE
PROBABLY HAVE NOT YET TOLD FINANCIAL SECRETARY AND THAT HE NOR
GOVERNOR HAVE YET CAUGHT WIND OF THE TALKS WITH GEC. FURTHER,
PARA 6 AND ABSENCE OF ANY RESPONSE FROM JAPANESE TO GEC LETTER.
SUGGESTS THAT IT IS STILL OPEN TO DOUBT WHETHER THE JAPANESE WILL
FOLLOW UP WITH GEC (OR VICE VERSA, PERHAPS).
8. I FULLY RECOGNISE FCO CONCERN THAT GOVERNOR SHOULD NOT HEAR OF
POSSIBLE GEC INVOLVEMENT FROM SOME OTHER SOURCE BEFORE HE HAS EVEN
A PRIVATE TIP OFF FROM US. I SYMPATHISE ALSO WITH LORD NELSON'S
CONCERN THAT FAILURE BY HIM TO MENTION IT IN PRIVATE CHAT MIGHT LATER
SEEM LIKE A DISCOURTESY IF GOVERNOR DISCOVERS THAT NELSON KNEW
AT THE TIME OF THEIR MEETING.
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