LANT
STAFF IN CONFIDENCE
HIKA 431/1
!!
RECEIVED RESTRY 990. 51
- 9 NOV 1978
R
Ilhante
on DISAR (48)
Hus
Gra's you all your mas.
Supppal
DESK OFFICER
ISTRY
Mr Stratton
INDEX
PA
Vetion Takeu
1
WIAD GOVERNORS
para 2.
1. I attach a copy of a minute from HKGD and propose replying as follows:-
on (a) Yes.
on (b) Yes.
on (c) Because of what I say below about Mr Strong I am attracted to the idea of recommending that r Russell have one further extension of about 8 months until he reaches the age of 60 in the summer of 1980. Good Governors are not easy to find and in view of Mr Russell's extraordinary success in the Caymans I see no point in making a change for change's sake.
I
(a) I am afraid I do not have any "feel" for Mr Wyn Jones. I am concerned that we do not have good rapport and whenever I ring him up to have a chat he is reticent to the point of embarrassment. would like to spend quite a while with him in Mont- serrat to have a chance of seeing him in action and of talking things over quietly. I think he needs it and I think we need it in order to assess properly how well he is doing. We know he does not like Montserrat and I am certainly not at present disposed to recommend an extension.
(e) I am sure this is right. Mr Guy has just begun to get to grips with development in the island, is enthusiastic for it and we should let him get on with it.
(f) Mr Strong has started well and is full of enthus- iasm. As I have always maintained, and this is on record in writing, it is crazy to think of moving Mr Strong less than 18 months after his appointment. If the only point of moving him is to give him a nicer place for his last 2 years of service, I strongly oppose it.
Nor have we any reason to believe he wants to move. However, he may have been given reason to believe by POD that he would be offered a transfer to the Cayman Islands after 18 months. If this is so it is an irresponsible action by POD and I would not like to see it fulfilled.
thi Shialton's
'
(56
1
STAFF IN CONFIDENCE
/2.