PERSONAL AND CONFIDENTIAL
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4. John Bowis said that he was not bothered by the prospect of German unity and that in any case Britain would have no power to stop it. But Britain and the other European powers should try to forestall any German ambitions to regain control over areas like Silesia or the Sudetenland. He shared Sir Ian Lloyd's fear of the Balkanisation of the Balkans. Michael Irvine added that the greater the political instability in Eastern Europe, the greater the temptation there would be for Germany to expand her political influence there.
HONG KONG
5.
Michael Irvine said that even given that most of the people covered by the Government's proposed scheme would be fairly wealthy professionals, he foresaw great difficulties for this country in absorbing them. Pressure on building land in southern England was already immense. The same applied to roads. [John Marshall nodded in agreement to Mr Irvine's comments]
The conversation also touched briefly on South Africa, Cambodia and the Lebanon.
6.
M
David Lidington Special Adviser
PERSONAL AND CONFIDENTIAL
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