CONFIDENTIAL
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7.
Tse and Leung are both good Chinese reporters able to produce fast useful material, suited to the requirements of the Chinese press and are both able to suit their style to the particular medium and the occasion. Both have a well developed political sense, Tse perhaps more so. Leung is technically a more highly qualified officer with a better standard of Chinese. Both are lively-minded and capable of unsupervised, original and productive work.
8.
In the first three months of the operation, when the Deputy Director, Moss and Xavier were all turning out material in English for re-writing and reproduction in Chinese, a disproportionate burden fell upon Leung and Tse and it was decided to recruit two more AIO's Class One to assist them. Two candidates were selected but have since turned down the offer.
9.
Until now the proposal was to retain Leung and Tse in the Unit. The intention was also to retain Xavier and let Moss who is a grade higher than the actual post return to where he is badly needed in the Publicity Division of the ISD, seek a replacement for him at SIO level and to continue to seek two other AIO's Class One.
10.
The disadvantages of this proposal are that there is no certainty of our obtaining a satisfactory replacement for Moss who has demonstrated his ability, versatility, local knowledge and enthusiasm; that Leung would now merit promotion to IO if he had remained in the ISD press room; and there is a receding hope of acquiring worthwhile recruits at AIO level.
11.
It is therefore suggested that instead of an establishment of 2 SIO's and 4 AIO's Class One the ISD component should consist of one PIO, 1 SIO, 1 10 and 2 AIO's. The ancillary staff (calligraphists etc.) are correctly consituted and need not be changed.
12.
The Radio Hong Kong staff who joined the Unit were a Programme Supervisor Cheng Keng-piu, a Programme Officer Michael Kaye and an Assistant Programme Officer Wong Wah-kay. Cheng, as a senior, well-experienced and able broadcaster has proved also to be wide- awake politically and able to exploit the opportunities which have been offered. The idea of the Unit is that having been seconded officers they will naturally be employed as fully as possible in the skills they have but are expected to turn their hands to associated or even quite different tasks.
/13.
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