CONFIDENTIAL AND PERSONAL
on
is very hard to judge the line the Governet took.
But the reaction by the DTI,which is now being passed to
the Prime Minister is perhaps a bit one sided.
3.
What it completely fails to take account of is the
dilemma of the Governor's position.
This of course crops
up almost every time we have a major issue with Hong Kong.
The Governor is in effect expected to be Britain's Ambassador
in Hong Kong and Hong Kong's Ambassador in London. He is
a representative with two heads and it is almost certain
that in major issues they will push in opposite directions.
In this case his duty to Britain was to secure a place for
the Anglo/Italian Consortium; his duty to Hong Kong in
cooperation with the Executive Council was to choose a bid
that seemed the best bargain for Hong Kong. If the Executive
Council had come down strongly in favour of the Japanese bid
as the best bet for Hong Kong then, despite the almost total
powers of the Governor it does make it very difficult for him
to insist on a different viewpoint.
4.
I mention this because I think that the Prime Minister
may now have gained a very jaundiced view of the Governor
and it is not very easy for the Governor to answer back
Mr. Walker's criticisms. You might on some occasion when you
like
are taking to the Prime Minister to give some balance to the
matter.
Pronatta
20 December, 1973
CONFIDENTIAL AND PERSONAL
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