·
4000935
P.R. 38
HONG KONG GOVERNMENT
NFORMATION
SERVICES
DAILY INFORMATION BULLETIN
SUPPLEMENT
TUESDAY, JUNE 25, 1974
DRAGON BOAT DINNER IN LONDON
THE HONG KONG ASSOCIATION HELD A "DRAGON BOAT" DINNER AT SAVOY HOTEL IN LONDON TO CELEBRATE THE FESTIVAL ON MONDAY (JUNE 24) EVENING.
THE GOVERNOR, STR MURRAY MACLEHOSE, SPOKE DURING THE DINNER. OTHERS WHO SPOKE WERE SIR ANTHONY ROYLE, AND SIR MICHAEL HERRIES, CHAIRMAN OF THE HONG KONG ASSOCIATION.
THE FOLLOWING IS THE FULL TEXT OF THE GOVERNOR'S SPEECH:-
**I AM MOST GRATEFUL TO THE HONG KONG ASSOCIATION FOR THIS INVITATION, THOUGH I FEEL SOME DIFFIDENCE IN SPEAKING TO A BODY OF THIS SORT. MANY OF YOU HAVE BEEN IN HONG KONG MUCH LONGAR THAN MYSELF, AND MOREOVER IT CONTAINS THREE OF MY PREDECESSORS, OF WHOSE INFINITELY GREATER WISDOM AND ADMINISTRATIVE CAPACITY I AM ACUTELY CONSCIOUS. I THINK THAT AT LEAST THEY WOULD AGREE WITH ME THAT THERE IS SOMETHING INTENSELY PERSONAL ABOUT BEING GOVERNOR OF HONG KONG. 1 HAVE BEEN AN ENTHUSIAST ABOUT HONG KONG FOR 34 YEARS, BUT I, FIND THAT NOW MY PERSONAL INVOLVEMENT AND COMMITMENT IS INFINITELY MORE COMPLETE THAN IN ANY OTHER OF THE MANY SORTS OF APPOINTMENT I HAVE HELD ELSEWHERE. SO I THINK THAT IN ASKING ANY GOVERNOR TO SPEAK TO YOU ABOUT HONG KONG, YOU RUN A RISK. ONCE HE STARTS THE DIFFICULTY MAY BE TO GET HIM TO STOP.
"I WILL START WITH THE ECONOMIC SITUATION IN HONG KONG, PARTLY BECAUSE THIS IS AN ASSOCIATION OF BUSINESSMEN, BUT ALSO BECAUSE IT IS THE ECONOMY - THE EMPLOYMENT IT PROVIDES. THE INVESTMENT IT ATTRACTS. AND THE REVENUE IT YIELDS WHICH IS THE BASIS ON WHICH ANY GOVERNMENT'S PLANS FOR HONG KONG MUST BE FOUNDED.
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"I SUPPOSE THAT THE LAST THREE YEARS HAVE BEEN ONE OF THE MOST
BAFFLING ECONOMIC PERIODS THAT THE WORLD HAS KNOWN FOR DECADES, AND THE LAST EIGHT MONTHS HAVE BEEN INFINITELY THE WORST.
WORLD
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