Draft
SPEECH BY SIR PATRICK REILLY
AT HONG KONG ROTARY CLUB ON OCTOBER 23RD, 1973
Mr. President & Gentlemen,
I am most grateful for the honour you have done me in
inviting me to be your guest to-day : and it is indeed a
privilege and a challenge to be asked to speak to the members of such an outstanding example of your great
world-wide movement a Club which I know unites eminent
representatives of every walk of life and of every
community in Hong Kong.
This is the third time since I retired from the Diplomatic Service that I have spoken to Rotarians. The first was at
Lagos in Nigeria where I go regularly and where there is
a flourishing Rotary Club which has much in common with
your own as a most valuable meeting place for members of
all communities.
(w/2)
It was
The second could hardly have been more different.
at Witney in my own county of Oxfordshire, an ancient market
town with a long industrial tradition where there is one of the few firms in England with a history of over 300 years in one family. Early's Blankets have a world-wide trade and
Japan is now their best overseas market. When I spoke to them just before I left they had that very day received an important order from Hong Kong. Their Export Director will
be here in December. I suppose I oughtn't to hope that you'll
all be shivering then !
Witney is typical of many thriving small towns all over
Britain. It has its share of modern industry too.
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