TNAG-0007-FCO40-43-Governorship-of-Hong-Kong-1968 — Page 70

STAFF

IN CONFIDENCE

Minister of State/

Secretary of State

The Governorship of Hong Kong

The Secretary of State has said that, before he sees

Sir David Trench on the afternoon of May 13th, he would wish to have our considered views on whether Sir David's term of office

as Governor should be extended.

2.

Sir David Trench's five year term of office as Governor runs until April, 1969. There is no rule, or practice, about whether a Governor takes the balance of leave due to him before the expiry

of his commission or afterwards. If Sir David took all the leave due to him before next April he could in practice begin his retirement leave in November or December this year. If he is to have an extension of his governorship he would like to take two months leave, provided the situation permits, as soon as we are over the dreaded Double Tenth this year (he has a great deal of accumulated leave due to him).

Personal factors to be taken into account

In January the C. in C. Far East expressed the view to the Secretary of State and Sir Saville Garner that Sir D. Trench was

3.

a very tired man, did not want to go on as Governor, and should be retired pretty soon. This view was reported in Sir S. Garner's minute of January 16th at flag A, and in my minute of January 18th (also at flag A) I gave my reasons for dissenting from it. Although Sir D. Trench has not undergone a further medical examination during his current leave it is perfectly clear that his own state of health is very greatly improved. He is clearly in much better shape than we have seen him for at least 2 3 years: he strikes us as being in excellent form and full vigour. Although any extension of his term of office would always have to be subject to a medical examination, I do not myself think there need be any doubt on this score. What is more worrying is Lady Trench's state of health. She has undergone certain operations over the past two years, and on medical advice is remaining in England until July, when the doctor feels she should be fit to return to Hong Kong. Sir David has told me that so far as he is concerned he feels perfectly fit and would be very ready to serve on beyond April 1969 if H.M.G. 1 wished him to do so, but because of inevitable uncertainty about his wife's health he would not think that he ought to accept an extension beyond 1 year, i.e.

until April 1970.

Representations