TNAG-0594-FCO40-740-Staffing-in-the-Dependent-Territories-in-the-1980s-1977 — Page 62

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6. I would guess that despite the passage of time and the introduction of Ministerial systems or Government to most territories it would still be possible to find and train reliable staff locally whose discretion it would be possible to trust and I suggest that conscious efforts are made to build a cadre of sucn persons in each administration: probably each has them already. Finding Governors of the right background experience will be less of a problem if the person appointed is properly supported by loyal local staff. Nevertheless it would be a reasonable safeguard if papers that could go astray were kept as few as possible and I suggest tuat correspondence in the Personal Series should generally be destroyed after say one year. Local staff can be and in my previous experience have often been entrusted witü cypuers but if it is thought tuis will prove a future problem, a junior grade officer could be sent out to take charge or them. 1 have more concern about the NATO stockpiles of Naval Control of Shipping documents which have been sent out in recent years. As these must not get into alien haids the answer here may be for an isolated Governor's post not to hold the NATO documents at all. I suquld doubt if any of che small West Indian territories are particularly important for the Naval Control of Shipping, and it appears from distribution lists avuiluble to me that they may not in fact hold any now.

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These isolated Governors posts are much less suitable for a single man than for a married one ini this factor should be given weight in recruiting. Many find isolation and the inability to share ones full range of problems with another officer are bearable if they have the support and comfort of a good wife. Indeed to some extent isolation is an advantage in helping to build a satisfactory relationship with the local politicians. The situation can no longer be one of "ve them" but must become "us":

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one person alone is 30 obviously at the local mercy that things will generally turn out well if the appointee is of good quality, even though he may have to keep some things to himself.

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PERSONAL