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dt 1980 taught me that there are decent and perverted homosexuals as well as decent and perverted heterosexuals, and of the perverted ones there may be more of the latter than the former, because heterosexuals are judged
lightly on the grounds that they are obeying only natural instinct. Homosexuals
ave not given the benefit of the terminology "natural instinct'. During that
year I met more honosexuals than I had imagined existed, and most of them were
Lentlemen in their behaviour. Some of them were Government Servants doing a fine job of work. Indeed, I have the distinct impression that the homosexuals I met kept their hands clean of corruption. That would not endear them to any corrupt heterosexuals in Government Service, Perhaps being honest in Hong Kong depicts them as softies, effeminate. I grew to like some of them, to my own amazement. Unless they are perverted types, they do less harm to, our society than some of the ambitious and corrupt super masculine types, many of whom are home destroyers and corrupters of children.
But to John's story. I returned home from our meeting and wrote to Governor MacLehosc, explaining the unjust dismissal and stating the possible reason. As John's virtual deportation to Britain was only days away, and in order to keep the matter confidential, I delivered the letter by hand to the Governor's residence early the next morning. It was disappointing to learn that within days. all the senior police knew that I had written to the Governor on John's behalf. I certainly told no one. I am sure too that John told no one, because two days Later he phoned to say he had been reinstated, but would I mind not communicating with him again or talking about the affair, as it would cause trouble for him.
It has since been made known that the Secretary for the Civil Service was already unhappy about the dismissal and considered it unjyst. Several senior police, including the Assistant Commissioner of Police, General Purdon, known for his integrity, had expressed alarm at John's dismissal on such flimsy evidence, purely hearsay and without a willing witness. The Acting Commissioner of Police at that time had overruled them all.
On the phone, John told me that on reinstatement he had been interviewed by Ir. Eric Blackburn, who had warned him about taking his troubles to people outside the Police Force. According to John. he was told, "Only the Governor has saved you this time. But don't expect any promotion. "This has been denied by the person concerned, but I am only repeating what John told me. One other witness has given a similar account to mine. So John and I agreed not to communicate, though we exchanged Christmas cards the next month, December, 1978. I never mentioned the name of John MacLennan to anyone in Hong Kong until after his death in January 1980. It was therefore surprising to find later in John MacLennan's confidential reports by the Special Investigation Unit (SIU) that it was considered to his detriment that he had been helped by me. Why it was detrimental to him that I tried to help him I shall never know, unless I might hazard the guess that I am not a favourite with corrupt elements in the Police, because I fought a 10-year battle with corruption ending in the setting up of the Independent Commission Against Corruption in 1974. The fact that this Commission against corruption was not really independent, and that it concentrated most
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