TNAG-0389-FCO40-435-Visit-of-trade-mission-of-the-London-Chamber-of-Commerce-and-1973 — Page 46

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SPEECH BY SIR PATRICK REILLY

AT HONG KONG ROTARY CLUB ON OCTOBER 23RD, 1973

Mr. President & Gentlemen,

I am most grateful for the honour you have done me in

inviting me to be your guest to-day : and it is indeed a

privilege and a challenge to be asked to speak to the members of such an outstanding example of your great

world-wide movement a Club which I know unites eminent

representatives of every walk of life and of every

community in Hong Kong.

This is the third time since I retired from the Diplomatic Service that I have spoken to Rotarians. The first was at

Lagos in Nigeria where I go regularly and where there is

a flourishing Rotary Club which has much in common with

your own as a most valuable meeting place for members of

all communities.

(w/2)

It was

The second could hardly have been more different.

at Witney in my own county of Oxfordshire, an ancient market

town with a long industrial tradition where there is one of the few firms in England with a history of over 300 years in one family. Early's Blankets have a world-wide trade and

Japan is now their best overseas market. When I spoke to them just before I left they had that very day received an important order from Hong Kong. Their Export Director will

be here in December. I suppose I oughtn't to hope that you'll

all be shivering then !

Witney is typical of many thriving small towns all over

Britain. It has its share of modern industry too.

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