XN000022-1979-04-04 — Page 2

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 4, 1979

9.

GOVERNOR RETURNS BY INAUGURAL THROUGH TRAIN

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THE GOVERNOR, SIR MURRAY MACLEHOSE THIS (WEDNESDAY) MORNING RETURNED ON THE INAUGURAL EXPRESS THROUGH TRAIN FROM GUANGZHOU (CANTON), AND LATER TOLD A LARGE GATHERING THAT IT WAS A VERY SMOOTH RIDE.+

THERE WERE LAUGHTER WHEN SIR MURRAY ADDED AND I AM NOT GOING TO SAY WHICH SIDE OF SHUM CHUN WAS SMOOTHER.+

THE EXPRESS TRAIN PULLED INTO THE NO. 6 PLATFORM OF THE KOWLOON STATION IN HUNG HOM AT 11,26 A.M., CUTTING THROUGH MULTI-COLOURED RIBBONS ACROSS THE TRACK, AND TO LIGHT MUSIC BY THE POLICE BAND.

SIR MURRAY THEN STEPPED DOWN_FROM_THE TRAIN ONTO THE PLATFORM, ACCOMPANIED BY LADY MACLEHOSE, SIR YUET-KEUNG KAN, SENIOR UNOFFICIAL MEMBER OF THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL, LADY KAN, DR. DAVID WILSON, POLITICAL ADVISER, MRS. WILSON AND SENIOR CHINESE OFFICIALS.

ON HAND TO MEET SIR MURRAY WERE SIR JACK CATER, THE CHIEF SECRETARY, BRIGADIER D.T. CRABTREE, DEPUTY COMMANDER BRITISH FORCES, THE HON. SIR SIDNEY GORDON, THE HON. OSWALD CHEUNG, MR. OSĈAR E. MICHELENA, CONSUL-GENERAL OF VENEZUELA WHO IS DOYEN OF THE DIPLOMATIC CORPS, AND SENIOR GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS.

SIR MURRAY, IN A SHORT SPEECH TOLD THE GATHERING THAT +WE HAVE ENJOYED EVERY MINUTE OF THE LAST 10 DAYS (IN CHINA) AND HAVE MET GREAT KINDNESS AND UNDERSTANDING: NEVERTHELESS IT IS NICE TO BE HOME HERE IN HONG KONG AGAIN,+

+1 SHOULD LIKE TO MAKE CLEAR THAT THE THROUGH TRAIN IS NOT AN END IN ITSELF BUT A BEGINNING, AND A VERY HAPPY BEGINNING, OF AN IMPROVED RAILWAY SERVICE BETWEEN GUANGZHOU AND HONG KONG,+ SIR MURRAY SAID.

*IT HAS BEEN TALKED ABOUT FOR 20 YEARS, BUT IT HAS BEEN AGREED NOW. AND THIS IS SYMBOLIC OF THE GOOD RELATIONS, THE GOODWILL, THE PRACTICAL SENSE OF INTER-DEPENDENCE THAT NOW EXISTS AND THAT WE HAVE MET EVERYWHERE DURING THE LAST 10 DAYS, HE ADDED.

SIR MURRAY EXTENDED A CORDIAL WELCOME TO MR. WANG HUAN, THE CHAIRMAN OF ECONOMIC COMMISSION OF GUANGDONG PROVINCE AND THE LEADER OF THE PARTY FROM GUANGDONG, AND MR. YANG CHI-HUA, THE DIRECTOR OF THE GUANGZHOU RAILWAY ADMINISTRATION.

IN CONCLUSION, SIR MURRAY CONGRATULATED MR. YANG AND MR. D.M. HOWES, KOWLOON-CANTON RAILWAY GENERAL MANAGER, ON THE IR JOINT ACHIEVEMENT AND THEIR CONTRIBUTION TO IMPROVED RELATIONS BETWEEN GUANGZHOU AND HONG KONG.

AFTER THE SHORT SPEECH, SIR MURRAY ATTENDED A RECEPTION AT THE STATION TOGETHER WITH THE WELCOMING PARTY, THE CHINESE VISITORS AND INVITED GUESTS.

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