TNAG-0336-FCO40-372-Visits-of-Governor-of-Hong-Kong--Sir-Murray-MacLehose--to-UK-1972 — Page 52

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FM F C O 111732

CONFIDENTI Ale

TO MEDIATE OOVERNOR HONG KONG TELEGRAM NO 673 OF 11 AUGUST, YOUR TELEGRAM NO 715: FOLLOWING 18 PERSONAL MESSAGE FROM SIR MURTAY MAGLENOBE.

1, WITH REGARD TO TIMING THE UNDERSTANDING I REACHED WITH DICK LEE AND ROSS WAS FROM THE FIRST FORTNIGHT IN OCTOBER UNTIL THE END OF 1973. BEFORE AGREEING THIS THEY HAD MADE SURE THAT MALE WOULD STAY UNTIL THE END OF 1973. BUT I LEFT IT THAT NEARER THE TIME WE SHOULD DISCUSS WHEN CATER SHOULD GO. BUT I NADE CLEAR THAT I DO NOT THINK THE JOB WORTH DOING UNLESS CATER SPENT A FULL YEAR ON IT. WE DISCUSSED THE POSSIBILITY OF HIM BEING ABLE TO SPEND SOME TIME TOWARDS THE END OF HIS TOUR FAMILIARISING HIMSELF WITH TELEPHONE COMPANY AFFAIRS. AS YOU SEE, THOUGH THE EXACT TIMING OF HIS TOUR AS OVERLORD WAS LEFT OPEN FOR SUBSEQUENT DISCUSSION, III PRINCIPLE, IT WAS ENVISAGED AS RATHER LONGER THAN YOUR SUPER/AUTUMN 1973. GRATEFUL IF YOU WOULD ENSURE THIS DOES NOT GET WHITTLED AWAY, 2. WITH REGARD TO WATT'S JOB, I DO NOT THINK THERE IS ANY DIFFERENCE OF SUBSTANCE IN THE RESPECTIVE UNDERSTANDINGS YOU REFEN TO. SONEY ENVISAGED TWO-THIRDS OF HIS TIME FOR TDC AND ONG-THIRD FOR GOVERNKENT, THIS WAS THE PROPORTION I INDICATED KHEN DISCUSSING WITH CS AND FS,

3. A POINT THAT SHOULD BE CONSIDERED 18 WATT'S PENSIONABLE POSITION AND WHETHER HE WOULD BE BETTER OFF IF NOMINALLY IN COVERMENT EMPLOYMENT WITH A REFUND FROM THE TDC OR VICE VERSA. I SEEM TO REMEMBER THE CS PAISED THIS POINT,

4. WHEN SPEAKING TO WATT I USED THE SAME PHRASE AS IN THE LETTER TO M, LE. DIRECTOR OF HONG KONG INFORMATION FOR BOTH THE TOC AND THE GOVERNMENT, PROVIDED WE ARE ALL CLEAR AS TO WHAT THE JOB CONSISTS OF AND THAT THE BULK OF THE TIME WILL BE FOR THE TDC, I MOULD SEE ADVANTAGE FOR THE TDC, THE GOVERNMENT, AND WATT PERSONALLY, IN DESCRIBING HIS JOB AS IN MY LETTER TO YK. THE FUNCTION 19 MORE READILY RECOGNISABLE TO A STRANGER THAR QUOTE INFORMATION OFFICER FOR THE TIG UINQUOTE.

5. THE FOREGOING IS DICTATED WITHOUT HAVING ACTUALLY SEEN YOUR TELEGRAM AND I HAVE NO COPY OF MY LETTER TO SIR YK, SO HOPE IT IS INTELLIGIBLE. WHEN YOU HAVE HAD TIME TO CONSIDER THE FOREGOING AND DISCUSS WITH CHAIRMAN OF THE TELEPHONE COMPANY OR SIR YK, GRATEFUL IF YOU WOULD SUGGEST WHAT I SHOULD GAY FURTHER TO VATT BOTH AS TO THE STYLE OF HIS JOB AND THE PROBABLE TIME OF AN ANNOUNCEMENT,

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