12
practice in the Colony.
(3) It is now admitted that knowledge of
Hong Kong and Chinese affairs is not essential for
the Attorney General of Hong Kong, though it is
regarded as desirable. As regards this, I pointed
out when the vacancy came before the Promotions
Committee on the 7th of August that before
Sir J.Kemp's long tenure of the Attorney General ship
there were extremely capable men holding that office
who had never been to Hong Kong or obtained any
knowledge of Chinese affairs before becoming
Attorney General of the Colony, e.g., W. Rees Davies
(1906-12), and J.A.S.Bucknell (1912-14). If there
are Law Officers now in the Service who are good
enough for the Attorney Generalship of Hong Kong,
and there are several, I submit that one of them
should have the preference over Mr.Alabaster.
(4) I annex, as requested by Mr. Ellis, the
Paper of Particulars considered when this vacancy
was before the Promotions Committee.
Of the five men appearing in it in
addition to Mr. Alabaster, Mr. Abrahams is probably
not quite suitable, and Mr.Howard is rather too
junior; either Mr. Jackson or Mr. MacGregor, both
first rate Law Officers, would do admirably, but in
present circumstances in Ceylon and Kenya respective-
ly, it is desirable to keep them where they are.
There remains Mr. Prior, who practised at
the English Bar for 9 years before he entered the
Colonial Service, and since then has for the last
15 years been engaged exclusively in Law Officer's
work in various Colonies with uniform guocess. He is
Laweer
a sound, loyal, and very careful draughtsman, and I
have