XN000022-1976-01-14 — Page 13

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insufficient education or social welfare, or unpleasant working conditions

should not be taken es evidence of any general malice towards us. Rather

Aoes it show that some of the things of which we are ourselves not proud

are the most newsworthy. It is only fair to remember that the British

media devote far more of their attention to stories which reveal the

least satisfactory aspects of British life.

"Naturally, we do not find it easy to welcome adverse comments

by politicians or social reformers

nor their proposals for the solution

of problems with which we have been grappling for years.

"But we should not overlook the sense of responsibility which many

of them feel towards Hong Kong. Because we are a dependency, the Secretary

of State is answerable to Parliament for the conduct of affairs in Hong

Kong. From this it follows that Members of Parliament have a proper and

constitutional interest in our administration.

"I suggest to you, therefore, that most of these critics speak

because they are concerned, not because they want to cause trouble for its

own sake. If they visit us, most of them come to learn, not to instruct;

to listen rather than to speak. The Hong Kong Government encourages and

assists these visits, firstly because we believe that informed criticism

is a great advance on ignorant criticism and secondly because experience

hos shown that the most ardent critic leaves here with some appreciation of

the difficulties we face, of the extent to which we have overcome them

and of our not inconsiderable achievements.

"It would be foolish to deny that our society suffers from

grave defects, which we are constantly striving to overcome. Nobody who

visits our worst squatter areas, who sees the conditions under which

/some workshops....