SECRET AND 1-WOLF 1,
I
Forcion and Commonwealth Office
Sir Murray MacLehose GBM KUNG KOVO Governor and Commander-in-Chief Government House
Hong Kong
London SWIA 2ATL
16 June 1978
AKK 382/1
REST
INDEK
M
> JUN 1973
OFFICE
PA
ليل
ROYAL HONG KONG POLICE FORCE
Jim Crane called at the Office last week on his return from Hong Kong. I was away, but Hugh Cortazzi had a very useful discussion and took the opportunity to add our thanks to yours for the exemplary way in which he and his team con- ducted their review of the RUKPF. I will not bothryou with an account of Crane's general impressions. But he was clearly very satisfied with the speed and vigour with which his various recommendations are being put into effect, and expressed a good deal of confidence about the future.
A number of points came up on which Hugh Cortazzi (who is, in turn, away in Central America) asked me to seek your views. The first is the question of the succession to the post of Commissioner and, related to that, the timing of Slevin's departure. Crane expressed strong reservations, which I believe you share, about the suitability of Roy Henry to succeed Slevin: he thought that Henry would do an adequate job but lacked the qualities of vision and political awarenesa vegion! to lead the RHKPF over the next few years. He therefore og bl that you would need to bring in someone from outside and (ince it would take time to find the right man) that it would be best to think in terms of making the change in January next year whet Slevin will have completed 5 years as Commissioner.
Our own feeling is that it would be better for Slevin sooner rather than later, but I can see that unless Henry i the successor - and our view here is much the same as Craneo it would not be realistic to expect to replace him before he end of the year. It would be helpful to know your own thinking on this. If you agree that someone will have to be brou from outside, the wheels should be set in motion very goon would be happy to ask Colin Woods to arrange a la mul if you sny bel us to do so (Crane's view was that on outside candidate would need to have a police rather than a millary beckground now thril Purdon has taken up his post, and I imagine you would agree).
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My second point concerns the Special Branch. Crane pointed out that the Branch lay outside his own terms of raference and suggested that a separate inspection might be appropriate. seen from here, there are good arguments for apel inion: we all need to be sure that the Branch is properl
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