STAFF IN CONFIDENCE
21 June, 1968.
THE GOVERNORSHIP OF HONG KONG
87
In your letter, of 3 March you asked that the Prime
Minister should be consulted in good time about the
successor to the present Governor of Hong Kong,
Sir David Trench, whose normal five-year term of office
ends next April.
After giving the matter very careful consideration
the Commonwealth Secretary recommends that we should
not look for a successor at this stage but that
Sir David Trench's term should be extended by one year:
that is to Buy until April 1970.
This recommendation is based on three main reasons.
First we need no longer feel anxiety over his health,
which caused concern last au tumn i he is obviously fit
again. Second, there are strong political and economic
arguments for continuity of leadership over the next
eighteen months or so. On the political side, the Hong
Kong Communists have suffered a substantial setback while
Sir David Trench has been Governor, but the situation
still remains delicate.
On the economic side there are
/important
A. N. Halls, Esq., M.B.E., T.D., 1. d. c.p
Private Secretary to the Prime Minister,
10, Downing Street,
105