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Page 8 Wednesday, October 18, 1967
Why all
all the secrecy?
ITs little short of amazing how the estab
lishment has managed to keep the wraps on Lord Shepherd.
Of course, with things as they have been allowed to develop, there must inevitably be security precautions to ensure the Minister's personal safety.
But the fact that such an important visitor should have given only one press conference so far during his stay looks remarkably like an attempt to insulate him from any real contact with the public of Hongkong.
He's been around
For in this city, with no representative government, it is only through the medium of the press that the authorities are able to obtain any true guide to the feelings and aspirations of the people.
True, Lord Shepherd has done the "grand tour" of our post-war achievements, he has met the VIPS of this small enclave, and he has seen and heard the things that the powers-that-ke want him to hear and see.
Tonight he is to be feted at a Government House reception-attended by a carefully- chosen guest list-and no doubt will hear a lot more of the same.
But the only other contact with the press so far envisaged is a press conference to be held just prior to his departure.
Opportunity lost
At this he is more likely to be busy giving the newspapers views he has formed than hearing Hongkong opinions of what needs to be done here.
This does not appear the best way in which to utilise such an opportunity of acquainting Her Majesty's Government with causes and remedies of present disaffection.
It is not often that a Minister of State for Commonwealth Affairs comes to call-and probably never before has a man who virtually controls our destiny been on hand at a more opportune moment.
Yet all this will be stultified if two-way communication between him and the population of Hongkong is stifled throughout his stay as it
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