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Dear Bunny
CONFIDENTIAL
COLONIAL SECRETARIAT.
HONG KONG.
27 February 1969.
AKK14/14
In the Secretary of State's confidential telegram No.92 of 3rd February, 1969, it was stated that Mr. A.M. McMullin's promotion to Puisne Judge would be published in the United Kingdom at 0001 hours on 6th February, 1969. Arrangements were made at this end for the promotion to be released to the press for publication to coincide with the announce- ment in the United Kingdom.
However, the 5.15 a.m. edition of the South China Morning Post of the 6th February, 1969, published an Associated Press announcement of Mr. McMullin's promotion dated 5th February, 1969, in London; a copy of the relevant press cutting is attached.
I understand that announcements of this nature are usually released by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office at approximately 5 p.m. on the day previous to the stated time of release but subject to an embargo that no announcement is made until after the time fixed for the release. It would therefore appear that the Associated Press in London either failed to honour or omitted to mention the embargo, with the result that the news appeared in the 5.15 a.m. edition of the South China Morning Post before the time scheduled for the official press release.
The Chief Justice has lodged a strong protest at this failure to honour the embargo, because the official press release which had been prepared for publication in Hong Kong fell flat as the news had been leaked some time before.
I should be most grateful if you would let me know what happened so that I can inform the Chief Justice.
The Chief Justice has suggested that if it is established that there was a failure on the part of the Associated Press to honour the embargo, on future occasions we in Hong Kong should not, as in Mr. McMullin's case, hold release until the time fixed for the announcement in the United Kingdom, but should arrange publication in the Hong Kong morning papers of the approved day. I should be grateful for your views on this suggestion. So far as I am aware, the system normally works satisfactorily.
May I take this opportunity of mentioning one small matter? We have received correspondence from Lord Shepherd's office and from Sir John Hugo addressed personally to Sir Hugh Norman-Walker. The latter was double sealed and marked "confidential & personal" and it was consequently with some trepidation that I opened it, but it turned out to be (as I suspected) the usual letter about Garden Parties. Incidentally, Sir John Hugo's letter dated 31st January arrived here on 25th February.
W.S. Carter, Esq., CVO,
Foreign & Commonwealth Office
(Hong Kong Department),
Curtis Green Building,
Victoria Embankment, London, s.w.l.
Yours
Suffe
(G.C. Hamilton)
Acting Colonial Secretary.
RECEIVED IN
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LAST
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