London, 27 August 1967
No. 1765. Confidential
My immediately preceding telegram.
Following is text of reply from Prime Minister to Mr. Holt’s message. Please pass this on to him.
2. Thank you for your message of the 24 August about the Australian Government’s decision to limit appeals to the Privy Council.1 I am grateful to you for letting me have this advance information and explaining what is involved. I quite understand the reasons for the decision. As you know everyone here has always held your High Court in the highest regard.
The announcement of your decision will no doubt arouse interest here and I suspect some awkward commentators may speculate that the timing is indicative of a deliberate policy of weakening relations between Australia and Britain. From what you say in your message I expect that you already have this in mind in considering the terms of your announcement. From the point of view of keeping the matter in proper perspective at this end it would be helpful if you were able to let us know in advance what you will be saying in your announcement so that we can be ready to base answers to enquiries on it.
I do not know what the thoughts of Mao2 may be about me. I cannot say that my thoughts about him are particularly kindly at the moment. Fortunately our people in Peking are all well. Many thanks for your expression of sympathy.
1 See Document 423. Advising Wilson on Holt’s message, the Commonwealth Office explained: ‘We had not expected the Australian decision to come quite so soon, but the Lord Chancellor’s Office have for many years expected some restriction on appeals from Australia. The reasons given for the decision in Mr. Holt’s message are very understandable, and in effect the practical effect will be very small. Mr. Holt himself has specially emphasised that no special significance is to be attached either to the decision itself or to the timing of it’ (UKNA: PREM 13/1320, ‘Note on the Australian Decision to Impose Certain New Limitations on Appeals to the Privy Council’, enclosed with letter, D.A. Macleod to A.M. Pallister, 25 August 1967).
2 Mao Tse-tung (Mao Zedong), first Chairman of the People’s Republic of China (1949–59) and the Chinese Communist Party (1949–76).
[UKNA: PREM 13/1320]