TNAG-0076-FCO40-112-Retirement-of-the-Commissioner-of-Police-1967 — Page 27

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HWB. 14/31.

Reference......

Mr. Hall

Please see telegram at (5) and minutes of 31 July to

1 August in O.D.M. file RC.216/81/01 attached proposing the

promotion of Mr. Eates to be Commissioner of Police, Hong Kong.

2. I discussed this with Mr. Macoun, the Police Adviser,

at the end of last week, prior to his departure for Ghana.

He did indeed express the views recorded in Mr. Ashton's

minute of 31 July. Since Mr. Macoun is not proposing to visit

Hong Kong until October, I did not feel fully able to go along

with his views. In any case,

I do not consider there is any

may,

doubt about Mr. Eates' suitability for the Commissionership

even though it would be a little strange to promote an officer

who only became the Deputy Commissioner eight months ago.

Mr. Eates has, after all, been a Commissioner of Police,

albeit in the Gambia.

3. Mr. Macoun did, however, make the point that to announce

Mr. Eates' promotion at the present time could well stir up

interest in Mr. Tyrer's retirement. I think this is a good

point. It is only a matter of some three weeks since Mr.

Tyrer arrived here; we have been remarkably successful in

evading any awkward Press interest. In another three or four

weeks I think we could regard Press interest as dead.

4.

I suggest that we reply to Hong Kong in the terms of

the two attached draft telegrams. I will minute separately on RC.216/81/06 taking up the points made in paragraphs 3

and 4 of Mr. Ashton's minute of 1 Augúst.

Уло

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In

br.5. Carter.

(W.S. Carter)

3.8.67.

14/8

off the fir

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Please

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