XN000022-1984-10-15 — Page 23

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MONDAY, OCTOBER 15, 1984

+ IN REALITY THIS IS NO CHOICE AT ALL, SO IT IS PERHAPS NOT SURPRISING THAT MOST COMMENT HAS ENDORSED THE PROPOSALS.+

HE SAID NOTWITHSTANDING THIS, HOWEVER, AND BEARING IN MIND OSCAR WILDE'S OBSERVATION THAT WHEN MOST PEOPLE AGREED WITH HIM HE FELT HE MUST BE WRONG, HE DID FIND HIS OWN VIEWS COINCIDING WITH THOSE OF MANY WHO HAD INDICATED SUPPORT FOR THE AGREEMENT BECAUSE OF A GENERAL FEELING IT WAS REASONABLE AND SENSIBLE, AND A PARTICULAR BELIEF THAT IT ADDRESSED ALL OF THE ISSUES RAISED IN THIS COUNCIL, AND ELSEWHERE, WHILE THE NEGOTIATIONS WERE IN PROGRESS.

+ IT IS A TRUISM THAT ONLOOKERS OFTEN SEE MORE OF THE GAME THAN THE PLAYERS, AND IT HAS BEEN BOTH INTERESTING AND ENCOURAGING TO NOTE THAT THE AGREEMENT HAS MET WITH ALMOST UNIVERSAL APPLAUSE FROM PARTIES OVERSEAS WHO HAVE PLAYED NO PART IN THE NEGOTIATIONS, BUT WHO, NONETHELESS, ARE KNOWLEDGEABLE AS TO OUR CIRCUMSTANCES AND THE ISSUES INVOLVED, MR BROWN SAID.

+ IT IS OF COURSE ALWAYS EASIER TO SAY A THING THAN TO DO IT, AND THE EXTENT TO WHICH THE AGREEMENT WILL BE IMPLEMENTED WILL BE DETERMINED BY HISTORY MUCH MORE ACCURATELY THAN THE WISEST PROPHET CAN FORECAST IN 1984, HE SAID.

+ARE WE WISE, THEREFORE, TO COMMEND THIS AGREEMENT TO THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG TODAY?+

IT WAS THEODORE ROOSEVELT WHO SAID THAT NINE-TENTHS OF WISDOM IS TO BE WISE IN TIME.

+FOR THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG THIS IS THE TIME FOR WISE JUDGEMENT, AND FOR THE MEMBERS OF THIS COUNCIL IT IS CRUCIAL THAT WE OURSELVES READ AR IGHT THE PRESENT.

+MY OWN READING OF THE PRESENT IS THAT THE AGREEMENT MARKS THE POINT IN OUR HISTORY WHEN WE CAN LEAVE ASIDE THE UNCERTAINTIES AND THE WORRIES OF THE RECENT PAST, AND GET BACK TO WHAT WE ALL REALLY WANT TO DO.

+THAT IS TO CONTINUE BUILDING A STABLE AND PROSPEROUS SOCIETY THAT WE CAN BE PROUD TO HAND TO THE NEXT GENERATION.

+THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG DESERVE A GOOD AGREEMENT.

+THEY HAVE NOT GOT A PERFECT AGREEMENT, AS I THINK IS OBVIOUS FROM THE VARIOUS RESERVATIONS EXPRESSED BY MY COLLEAGUES THIS AFTERNOON, WHICH I ENDORSE, BUT NOTHING IN LIFE IS PERFECT AND I BELIEVE THE AGREEMENT THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG HAVE GOT IS THE BEST POSSIBLE IN ALL THE CIRCUMSTANCES.

+ IN SUPPORTING THE MOTION COMMEND IT TO THEM,+ MR BROWN STATED.

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