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-head of the general administration achieves in

another way what the suggested transfer was intended to achieve. Rowell is confident that he would be able to keep an adequate eye on educational developments throughout the military period and we have in Walton, a junior member of the Hong Kong Education Department, a man capable of taking on the education work under Rowell's general supervision. Walton is in the Navy but does not expect any difficulty over his release.

What I propose then would be to reply to Ride's personal letter saying that I appreciate his reluctance, and his desire to stay with the organization he has himself created and that in the circumstances I am prepared to drop the request for his services. I would add that I would continue to hope that if he did become available during the military period in Hong Kong we should have first call on him. (There are bound to be a good many important jobs the necissity for which we have not foreseen, to say nothing of the University work).

I discussed these ideas briefly with Paskin and Miss Ruston last week in your absence, and understood them to be in general agreement.

I mentioned to them also that Hazelrigg does not relish the arrival of Cunningham in the Legal Department. You are aware of

my

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