FRIDAY, DECEMBER 6, 1974.
- 2.
GOVERNOR OPENS LIONS CONVENTION
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HONG KONG, LIKE OTHER SOUTH-EAST ASIAN TERRITORIES, MUST RELY ON ITS OWN STRENGTH, ENERGY AND COHESION AS A COMMUNITY TO MEET THE DIFFICULTIES RESULTING FROM THE OIL CRISIS AND THE WORLD ECONOMIC SITUATION, THE GOVERNOR, SIR MURRAY MACLEHOSE, SAID TODAY.
+THESE ARE OUR GREATEST ASSETS AND OUR GREATEST SAFEGUARDS IN THE PERIOD THAT LIES AHEAD,+ HE TOLD DELEGATES AT THE OPENING OF THE 13TH ORIENT AND SOUTH-EAST ASIA LIONS CONVENTION IN THE CITY HALL.
THE GOVERNOR DESCRIBED MUTUAL SERVICE AS THE STRONGEST CEMENT THAT A COMMUNITY CAN HAVE,+ AND NOTED THAT THE LIONS' MOTTO OF "WE SERVE WAS PRECISELY THE APPROACH NEEDED IN THE CURRENT SITUATION SINCE +BY CONTINUING TO SERVE EACH OTHER WE WILL BEST SERVE THE COMMUNITY.+
FOLLOWING IS THE FULL TEXT OF THE GOVERNOR'S SPEECH #
+FIRST OF ALL LET ME WELCOME THE LIONS INTERNATIONAL TO HONG KONG. THROUGHOUT THE WORLD YOUR NAME STANDS HIGH AND I ASSURE YOU NOWHERE HIGHER THAN IN HONG KONG. YOU ARE IMMENSELY WELCOME.
+YOUR CONVENTION IS CONCERNED WITH THE SUBJECT OF SERVICE TO THE COMMUNITY. IF I MIGHT SAY SO IT IS MOST TIMELY TO FOCUS ON THIS SUBJECT JUST NOW WHEN DIFFICULTY AND DISAPPOINTMENT FACE SO MANY OF THE COUNTRIES AND COMMUNITIES IN THIS REGION.
+THREE YEARS AGO WISE STATESMANSHIP HAD GREATLY REDUCED THE DIVISIONS WHICH FOR SO LONG BEDEVILLED INTERNATIONAL RELATIONSHIPS IN THE EASTERN PACIFIC. THE WHOLE AREA WAS ABLE TO BREATHE MORE FREELY AND FACE THE FUTURE WITH MORE CONFIDENCE. THOUGH THERE FOLLOWED DIFFICULTIES WHICH SEEMED LARGE ENOUGH AT THE TIME, DIFFICULTIES STEMMING FROM ADJUSTMENT OF EXCHANGE RATES, INFLATION AND COMMODITY SHORTAGES, THEY WERE DIFFICULTIES WHICH THIS REGION AT LEAST SUCCEEDED IN TAKING MORE OR LESS IN ITS STRIDE.
+BUT WITH THE OIL CRISIS AND ALL THAT FOLLOWED THERE HAVE EMERGED INTERNATIONAL FINANCIAL PROBLEMS OF A SCALE AND TYPE THAT ARE UNPRECEDENTED. IT HAS BECOME CLEAR THAT BEFORE THEY CAN BE SOLVED, AND WORLD TRADE RESUME ITS EXPANSION, A PERIOD OF ADJUSTMENT IS INEVITABLE.
+IN THIS PERIOD BELIEVE THAT THE COUNTRIES AND COMMUNITIES OF THIS REGION WILL FARE BETTER THAN OTHERS, BUT THERE IS, AND IS BOUND TO BE, DISAPPOINTMENT AND SOME DISTRESS.
+IT IS ALL THE MORE FRUSTRATING FOR US THAT THE PROBLEMS STEM FROM ISSUES COMPLETELY OUTSIDE OUR CONTROL, RESULTING FROM POLICIES AND SITUATIONS MANY THOUSANDS OF MILES AWAY, TOTALLY UNRELATED TO OUR REGION.
/+BUT FOR
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