CONFIDENTIAL
AGAINST
(A) THERE IS VIRTUALLY NO INTEREST IN THE SUBJECT HERE AMONGST
THE CHINESE POPULATION
B) THERE IS SOME INTEREST IN THE PRESS AND AMONG SOME SMALL VOCAL AND LARGELY EXPATRIATE GROUPS. BUT NOTHING THAT IS POSSIBLE IN HONG KONG WOULD SATISFY THEM, SO WHY OFFER THEM NEW PEGS ON WHICH TO HANG CRITICISM?
(C) ANY STATEMENT THAT IS CORRECT CAN BE MADE TO APPEAR NEGATIVE
AND UNIMAGINATIVE
(D) WHEN WE ACT IN JUNE THE QUESTION IS ANSWERED BY THE ACTION:
UNTIL WE HAVE ACTED OR ARE ABOUT TO ACT, NO STATEMENT WILL ADVANCE THE SITUATION. HOWEVER TO COUPLE SUCH A STATEMENT
WITH ACTION COULD BE USEFUL.
FOR
(E) THERE WOULD BE VALUE IN HAVING ON RECORD A STATEMENT OF OUR
CONCEPT OF THE DUTIES AND MEMBERSHIP OF LEG CO AND OF THE WAY IN WHICH WE SEE THE LATTER EVOLVING. THIS MIGHT CLEAR THE AIR, AND IN ANY CASE COULD BE SOMETHING TO WHICH CRITICS OR HONEST ENQUIRERS COULD BE REFERRED
(F) SINCE THE QUESTION HAS BEEN OPENLY RAISED OTHER THINGS BEING
EQUAL IT SHOULD BE OPENLY ANSWERED
(G) TO IGNORE DR CHUNG'S SUGGESTION MIGHT BE REGARDED AS A
DELIBERATE SNUB.
6. DR CHUNG HIMSELF WOULD PREFER THE PASSAGE INCLUDED, BUT HE IS CONSCIOUS OF THE OBJECTIONS AND CLEARLY HAS NO STRONG OR
CORERENT VIEWS ABOUT IT.
7. I SEE CONSIDERABLE FORCE IN BOTH (D) AND (E), BUT RELUCTANTLY SEE SLIGHTLY MORE IN (D) FROM THE HONG KONG POINT OF VIEW. BEFORE MAKING UP MY MIND GLAD TO KNOW WHAT THE PREFERENCE WOULD
BE FROM U,K. ANGLE.
MACLEHOSE.
FILES
HKIOD (3)
LEGAL ADVISERS SIR D.WATSON MR.MALE
• 2 CONFIDENTIAL
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