TNAG-0363-FCO40-409-Appointments-of-senior-officers-in-Hong-Kong-1973 — Page 110

PRIORITY

CONFIDENTIAL

CYPHER/CAT A

FM GOVERNOR BERMUDA 071430Z

A 8k

m. Phdiy

T

@ 18

UK COMMS ONLY CONFIDENTIAL AND PERSONAL

DEDIP

1

STAFF IN CONFIDENCE

TO PRIORITY FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE TELEGRAM NO,

PERSONAL 8 OF 7 FEBRUARY 1973.

PERSONAL FOR DUNCAN WATSON FROM GOVERNOR.

RECEIVED IN REGISTRY No. 74

FEB 1973

1HKK 14

YOUR TELEGRAM NO. PERSONAL 8: APPOINTMENT OF SOLICITOR GENERAL,

HONG KONG.

YOU WILL BE AWARE THAT HOBLEYS APPOINTMENT HERE WAS ON CONDITION THAT HE AGREED TO SERVE A MINIMUM OF TWO YEARS (OUR TELEGRAM PERSONAL 35 OF 23 DECEMBER, 1972) AND THIS WAS ACCEPTED BY THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT IRRESPECTIVE OF WHEN HE MIGHT BE PROMOTED THERE (ITS TELEGRAM 973 OF 29 DECEMBER 1972 TO YOU). THE MOST CHARITABLE INTERPRETATION THAT CAN BE PLACED ON THIS EXCHANGE OF

TELEGRAMS IS 10 MONTHS SERVICE, WITH SIX MONTHS NOTICE AT THAT STAGE, MAKING A TOTAL OF TWO YEARS. THE OFFER OF APPOINTMENT TO

HOBLEY WAS MORE PRECISE AND REFERJED TO TWO YEARS SERVICE WITH

SIX MONTHS NOTICE THEREAFTER. HOBLEY HAS ONLY SERVED TEN

MONTHS HERE AND A REQUEST TO RETURN HIM TO HONG KONG WILL BE

RECEIVED BADLY BY THE BERMUDA GOVERNMENT.

2. THE PRESENT SOLICITOR GENERAL HERE WAS APPOINTED IN NOVEMBER

LAST YEAR. I DOUBT THAT HE HAS SUFFICIENT EXPERIENCE FOR HIM TO

BE PROMOTED AT THIS STAGE AND THERE IS, IN ANY EVENT, NO ONE IN

SIGHT FOR THE SOLICITOR GENERALS POST.

3 WHILE NOT WISHING TO STAND IN THE WAY OF HOBLEYS PROMOTION

YOU SHOULD BE AWARE OF THE STRONG REACTIONS LIKELY TO COME FROM

THE BERMUDA GOVERNMENT. THE EMPHASIS IN THE OFFER TO HOBLEY ON

A MINIMUM OF TWO YEARS APPOINTMENT WAS TO ENSURE CONTINUITY.

/ALTHOUGH

CONFIDENTIAL