XN000022-1984-03-15 — Page 4

THURSDAY, MARCH 15, 1984

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REFLECT ON ACHIEVEMENTS, PEOPLE URGED

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HONG KONG PEOPLE LEAD SUCH BUSY LIVES THAT THEY SELDOM HAVE TIME TO REFLECT ON HOW FAR THEY HAVE COME.

REMARKING ON THIS POINT IN A SPEECH TO THE ROTARY CLUB OF KOWLOON TODAY, THE DIRECTOR OF INFORMATION SERVICES, MR PETER TSAO, SAID, PERHAPS WE SHOULD, NOW AND THEN, REGAIN OUR SENSE OF PERSPECTIVE - WHEN DOUBTS AND MISGIVINGS THREATEN TO CLOUD OUR JUDGEMENT OR WHEN THE PROBLEMS OF THE MOMENT OBSCURE THE MANY OTHER PROBLEMS WE HAVE SURMOUNTED IN THE PAST.+

POINTING TO THE HISTORY CHAPTER OF HONG KONG 1984+, THE NEWLY PUBLISHED YEAR BOOK PRODUCED BY HIS DEPARTMENT, MR TSAO SAID, IT IS SALUTARY TO LOOK BACK ON OCCASIONS WE NOW SEEM IN DANGER OF FORGETTING, WHEN THE SHADOWS ON OUR HORIZON LOOMED AS LARGE, IF NOT LARGER, THAN THEY DO NOW.

FEW CITIES HAD FACED SUCH ADVERSITY AS HONG KONG HAD DONE OVER THE PAST 40 YEARS. FEWER STILL HAD EMERGED FROM THE FIRES WITH THE VIGOUR AND RESILIENCE THAT HONG KONG HAD FORGED THERE.

THE YEAR BOOK, HE SAID, CONSISTENTLY HEADED HONG KONG'S BEST-SELLER LIST BECAUSE IT WAS THE BEST REFERENCE BOOK AVAILABLE ON THIS MARVELLOUS AND UNIQUE COMMUNITY IN WHICH WE LIVE+.

+ IF WE TAKE THE TIME AND EFFORT TO EXCAVATE THE FACTS, HE SAID, IT IS A MINE OF INFORMATION WHICH I AM SURE WILL GREATLY ENRICH OUR UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT MAKES THIS PLACE TICK.

+AND I LIKE TO BELIEVE THAT THE SUCCESS AND POPULARITY OF THIS PUBLICATION HAS SOMETHING TO DO WITH THE PRIDE WE TAKE IN THIS GREAT COLLECTIVE ACHIEVEMENT THAT IS HONG KONG.

+WE ALL HAVE A VERY HUMAN DESIRE TO READ ABOUT OURSELVES ON THE PRINTED PAGE, AND IN THIS BOOK WE CAN. FOR IT IS, IN A VERY REAL SENSE, OUR STORY. WITHOUT THE CONTRIBUTION WHICH EACH OF US HAS MADE TO THE WHOLE, HONG KONG WOULD NOT BE WHAT IT IS.+

MR TSAO COMMENTED THAT HONG KONG DID NOT READILY SUBMIT TO EXAMINATION AND EXPLANATION. INDEED, HE ADDED, THERE IS A DANGER THAT WE MAY THINK WE KNOW ALL ABOUT IT WHEN WE HAVE HARDLY BEGUN TO UNDERSTAND.◄

HE HAD A WORD OF CAUTION FOR THE OUTSIDER WHO THINKS HE CAN COME HERE AND LEARN IT ALL IN SOME KIND OF 'CRASH' COURSE.+

/+IT DOESN'T