GOVERNMENT HOUSE
HONG KONG
RECOVED IN
PERSONAL.
REGISTAY No. 51
- JUN 1971
AKX9/2
Dear Leshi-
REF.
NE
11th May, 1971.
REF.
68
In another letter of today's date I have written to you about a conversation which P.Y. Tang reports having had with Mr. Royle, on the subject of the financing of the Polytechnic.
On his return, P.Y. Tang came to
see me; reported the conversation; and asked whether he could write to Mr. Royle and give him the assurance Mr. Royle was said to have asked for. I was a bit unprepared and therefore non-committal, and suggested he shew me a draft of what he proposed to say to Mr. Royle.
When this arrived, it seemed to me that (as is so often the case with P.Y. Tang's methods of going about things) matters were in danger of getting a little out of hand: and that he was in danger of getting us in a severe middle, not only in general but with Finance Committee. I therefore suggested to him that it would be better if any assurances Mr. Royle was seeking came officially from me hence my letter.
The plain fact is that my other letter is as much an exercise in keeping P.Y. Tang on the straight and narrow as anything else, and
Sir Leslie Monson, KCMG, CB,
Foreign and Commonwealth Office, London, S.W. 1.
66