TNAG-0504-FCO40-569-Review-of-narcotics-problem-in-Hong-Kong-1974 — Page 89

CONFIDENTIAL

5.

This led on to a discussion of Mr Rolph's personality and abilities. Mr Train said his set-piece

interventions at Geneva had been quite good, but his private performance had been disastrous. As the fortnight's meetings went on and he became tired, Mr Rolph had become both indiscreet and too blunt. He had hectored Asian participants, for example from Burma and Pakistan, about how they should run the anti-narcotic programme in their countries. He had said publicly at a cocktail party that he was going to dinner with the Americans to agree between them how the South East Asian programme should be run. Mr Train had on several occasions to intervene to smooth the edges of Mr Rolph's personality.

Mr Train said that, before we took up with the Governor the question of further tripartite meetings with the Americans, he would like to clear his lines within the Home Office. I agreed that when he had done so I would write two letters to the Governor, the first on the question of these meetings; and the second a personal letter suggesting that, although Mr Rolph is to retire shortly, it might be in Hong Kong's interests to restrain his performance in the meanwhile.

7 March 1974

ACSL

A C Stuart

Hong Kong & Indian Ocean Dept.

CONFIDENTIAL