RESTRICTED
040301
MDHIAN 6632
FOUND NO (NO) CAUSE TO INTERVENE IN SMS'S EXERCISE OF HIS DISCRETION
AS ANTIQUITIES AUTHORITY IN NOT ACCEPTING THE ADVICE OF THE
ANTIQUITIES ADVISORY BOARD THAT THE SYNAGOGUE SHOULD BE DECLARED A
MONUMENT AND HENCE, PRESERVED FROM DEMOLITION. AN APPLICATION FOR JUDICIAL REVIEW OF THE DECISION NOT TO DECLARE THE SYNAGOGUE A
MONUMENT WAS WITHDRAWN AT THE REQUEST OF THE APPLICANT (WILLIAM MEACHAM, ALSO A MEMBER OF THE AAB.
5. HER STATEMENT THAT ''LORD KADOORIE HAS USED HIS WEALTH AND
INFLUENCE TO ENSURE THAT ALL THE APPROPRIATE AUTHORITIES, WHO MIGHT HAVE RECTIFIED THE MATTER, HAVE CONFORMED TO HIS WISHES IS UTTERLY WITHOUT FOUNDATION. WE CONSIDER SUCH A STATEMENT UNACCEPTABLE SINCE IT, BY INFERENCE, IMPUGNS THE PROBITY OF MANY PEOPLE. HER REFERENCE ΤΟ ''THE DETRIMENT OF HONG KONG AS A WHOLE REPRESENTS A DEBATABLE
GLOSS ON THE DECISION THAT THE SYNAGOGUE SHOULD NOT BE PRESERVED.
6. SHE HAS PUT US IN SOMETHING OF A ''CATCH 22' SITUATION THOUGH.
SINCE SHE IS CLEARLY CONVINCED THAT OMELCO AND OTHER CHANNELS FOR
REDRESS OF GRIEVANCE ARE INEFFECTIVE OR WORSE, IT BECOMES USELESS TO EXPLAIN THAT THE MATTER HAS ALREADY BEEN FULLY INVESTIGATED BY ALL
THE APPROPRIATE AUTHORITIES.
7. IN OUR VIEW, THE FACTS OF THE CASE ARE NOT FAIRLY PUT IN A SERIES OF ANONYMOUS ARTICLES IN TARGET MAGAZINE, THE FIRST OF WHICH CONSISTS
MAINLY OF OPINION AND INNUENDO AND THE SECOND OF WHICH MAINLY OF A
SELECTION OF GOVERNMENT DOCUMENTS, ACQUIRED BY IMPROPER MEANS, AND WHICH OMITS FOR EXAMPLE, THE FACT THAT WHEN IT WAS REALISED THAT THE AAB MIGHT NOT HAVE BEEN GIVEN THE COMPLETE INFORMATION
ON THE LEGAL POSITION A MEETING WITH THE CROWN SOLICITOR WAS ARRANGED
AT WHICH AAB MEMBERS WERE FULLY BRIEFED AND HAD EVERY OPPORTUNITY TO
ASK ANY QUESTIONS THEY WISHED.
WILSON
YYYY
ΜΑΙΝ
16
LIMITED
HKD
NNNN
DISTRIBUTION
16
PS/LORD GLENARTHUR
MR MCLAREN
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