CODE 18-77
Mr McLaren
Reference. HKG 025/4
25 JUN 197/9
INDEX
No
82717 My
12
SEMINAR
1.
Mr Clarke's draft submission at folio 9 outlines the stage we have reached in preparation for the seminar in September. In view of Mr Stratton's absence, I suggest that rather than wait for his return, or try to have a meeting without him, we should go ahead and send out invitations to all the people mentioned in para.2 of the draft. Admittedly there is a risk that if too many of them accept we shall end up being rather overloaded with academics: but this is unlikely - we shall be lucky if we get a 50 per cent acceptance rate, and the longer we leave it the lower the rate is likely to be. I suggest that we might also at this stage send invitations to Mr John Smith and Mr Walter Wallace (who are prob- ably the best candidates from among ex-Governors since their experience is more recent than that of other possible candidates who have been suggested) and to Dr Grant, the High Commissioner for Guyana.
2. We can then plan to have a meeting after Mr Stratton's return, by which time we ought to know what the initial response has been and will have an idea of what gaps we should be trying to fill – though it is already evident that we shall need to look a bit harder for suitable journalists etc., and for people from the Dependent Territories themselves.
3.
I attach drafts of:-
(i) A letter that might be sent to all the academics
except Mr Selwyn and Dr Lyon (to whom, if you agree, I shall write separately in view of my previous contacts with them);
(ii) A letter to Mr Smith and Mr Wallace; and
(iii) A letter to Dr Grant.
4 May 1979
W.E. Chantill
WE Quantrill
Hong Kong and General Department