CO129-524-3 Reorganisation of commissioned Police Officers 27-1-1930 - 15-8-1930 — Page 13

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3. I have since perused the files regarding

this officer, and have discussed the matter with

Mr. Southorn. The general impression definitely

left on my mind is that Mr. Wodehouse cannot be

considered qualified for further promotion.

4. With regard to recent confidential reports,

referred to in paragraph 2 of Your Lordship's

despatch, I would point out that the Governor's report in 1926 was as follows, "An officer of very

mediocre ability and not, so far as I am able to

judge, qualified for further promotion."

It is

true that the Governor, in the reports for 1927 and

1928, merely stated that he had nothing to add to the

Reporting Officer's statement. This, at all events,

must be taken as implying agreement with the Reporting Officer's view. In the report for 1929,

Mr. Wolfe recorded his opinion that Mr. Wodehouse's

personal characteristics were weak, that he took the

line of least resistance, and was not a hard worker:

further that he was poor at dealing with new or

difficult problems. Sir Cecil Clementi concurred

in this report. In the report for 1930, Mr. Wolfe

recorded a similar view, and Sir Cecil Clementi

stated, as follows, "I consider that Mr. Wodehouse

is unsuitable for promotion, and that his retirement

would increase the efficiency of the Hong Kong Police

Force."

5.

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Mr. Wodehouse appears to have acted as

Captain Superintendent of Police for ten months, from

April