TNAG-0332-FCO40-368-Visits-of-Secretary-of-State-for-Foreign-and-Commonwealth-Af-1972 — Page 63

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HONG KONG GOVERNMENT

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INFORMATION SERVICES -

DAILY INFORMATION BULLETIN

SUPPLEMENT

Monday, February 14, 1972

OFFICIAL LUNCHEON AT MANDARIN HOTEL

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The following is the text of the speech given by Sir Alec Douglas-

Home at the official lunch hosted by his Excellency the Governor and

Lady MacLehose at the Mandarin Hotel today.

"I have only been to Hong Kong once before and I am afraid that

reveals a gap in my education which I am now doing my best to remedy.

But I have seen enough during my previous visit and now to recognise that

Hong Kong is one of the monuments to the ingenuity of man. Particularly

happy, too, to be here at this festive season of New Year. From tonight, I

understand, as in Scotland, everything shuts down. But in this climate

of re-birth and new resolutions I wish you every possible good fortune

and many happy years to follow this.

Today I come to Hong Kong to meet people, less to see than

to talk. But not to talk at you but with you of the problems of this

island. I am going to make no comparison (I've travelled the world a lot,

no comparisons at all, lately at home a man asked a very innocent question

to his friend: 'how is your wife?' But met with a rather unexpected reply:

1 compared to what?'). So there is nothing to which I can compare Hong

Kong who have many claims to be unique, that is all the more reason why I

/should

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Pryk

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