TNAG-1411-FCO40-1887-Future-of-Hong-Kong--Hong-Kong-a-Change-of-Destiny---despatc-1985 — Page 8

DB1AGB

V CEM

CONFIDENTIAL

HKK 040/37

FILE

9

-

-YOT 1985

Det & OFFICER

INDEX

REGIS

PA

Acting

FROM: A C GALSWORTHY, HKD

DATE: 9 October 1985

Dr Wilson

PEKING DESPATCH ON HONG KONG NEGOTIATIONS

A

1.

B

that his feathers will

now be

Evans

Please see the attached letter from Richard

complaining about Our decision not to print his despatch

and asking if we will now consider doing So.

I fear

be further ruffled by receiving

a copy of the Secretary of State's personal reply to the

Governor's despatch. This puts us in an awkward position.

Our decision not to print the despatch as a diplomatic

document was not taken on the grounds that it dealt with a

subject of only local or ephemeral interest: it was t ak en on the basis that it was not a very good despatch, and did

not address the wider issues which would have been of

interest to a wider audience. I still think that this

decision was right, and am reluctant to reverse it merely

because an Ambassador wishes to see his name in print.

2.

However there i s

the

recommended

that

departmental series, and

a further snag.

Although

we

despatch be printed in the

submitted a form for you to send

to the printers for this to be done, it appears that this form never reached the printers (or perhaps that they

themselves lost it). As a result the despatch was never

printed in the departmental series. The fact that nobody noticed this may be indicative of something or other.

3.

But

I f we ask them to, LRD would be happy to print the despatch as a diplomatic report in last year's series. they think that they would have to include a note as to why the despatch is being printed so late. I find it difficult to envisage what such a note would say, and wonder if

if the

result would not be a little embarrassing for Richard

net

Evans.

CONFIDENTIAL