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CONFIDENTIAL Contingency plans were ready for this but he hoped that it would not be necessary to activate them. He was aaiely conscious of the political cost of his chosen course of action but he was convinced that it was the right one. In answer to a question Mr Crosland explained that neither he nor officials had seriously considered a third possible course which was to do nothing at all, hoping that things would blow over and that we would be able to establish good relations. This was not the first time we had been through this kind of situation with Uganda under Amin and enough was enough. We needed to move out of the situation where we were vulnerable to the taking of hostages, which is what the British community were under the present Ugandan regime, because of our obligation and theoretical ability to protect them. Mr Crosland was asked how he expected the editors to react to the information he had given them. How would it appear for example if newspapers began to imply that the government's policy was one of orderly withdrawal? The Foreign and Commonwealth Secretary said that to reveal the strategy would be to imperil it. He agreed with the suggestion (from Harold Evans of the Sunday Times) that the most helpful line would be for newspapers to recommend the chosen policy and to criticise him for not pursuing it! (R. N. Dales)