13
IS
From Sir Patrick Reilly GCMG OBE
HKK6/548/1 (1974)
怂
D
ECEIVED IN ! EGISTRY No.
- 7 JAN 1974
Zee
حلية
9:13 King William Street London EC4P 4HS Telephone 01-626 5678
Goodhalla PA 2.4.5
pie speak
HKK 6/548/14
dear com
4th December, 1973.
Pus M310/1/12.
HkleD
CC
Chief Terk LAW Youde
M10/xi
Thank you so much for your letter of 27th November about the London Chamber's Mission to Japan and Hong Kong. It was very good of you to bother to comment so fully on my letter of October 31st.
I do indeed understand the delicacy of British Information work in Hong Kong. But I would hope that it would not be difficult to draw a distinction between putting the U.K. case on an issue between the Government of Hong Kong and H.M.G. (which is clearly tricky) and straightforward projection of Britain, of which I do venture to think much more could and should be done. I was interested to find Michael Herries strongly supporting this view when I reported orally to the London Chamber Council.
It is really no business of mine anymore how long members of the Service have to go between spells of home leave. I can only say that in the condition and climate of Hong Kong I should be jolly sorry to go two years without it : and personally I think there is a risk of some very willing horses being badly overdriven. As regards a duty visit, Tom Aston's point was that a regular duty visit half way through a tour (rather than one made if an excuse for it crops up) would pay handsome dividends. I can't help thinking he's right.
Sir Thomas Brimelow, KCMG, Foreign & Commonwealth Office, Whitehall,
LONDON, S.W.1
ever
Patrich