10 Jun 1943, John Charter's wartime journal

I pointed out that during those years he would have time to select another young architect who could work with me and gain the necessary experience and suggested that my name should not appear in the firm’s title at all. But unfortunately this suggestion did not appeal to him. He said that it was essential in such a project for the name of the architect to appear and for the architect to become a well known personality in the Colony. If I were to leave in a few years time he would have to start all over again with a new man. I saw his point of view and he, I think saw mine. So in the end we agreed that the project as it concerned us individually was just a bit of a miss-fit and reluctantly left it at that. 

O.E. asked me what I thought would be the best way of securing such a man and we discussed it at some length. He proposes to fly to England directly the war is over and select him himself. He will still have to solve the problem of getting a man with some experience of Chinese contractors and their method of working, and also of constructing buildings to suit the difficult climate out here. I said I could supply him with the names of some of my AA friends and acquaintances with whom he might care to get in touch. Then I told him that I was still keen on getting a job with a private firm (to warn him that in that event we might come into competition) and he said he was certain I would find one easily enough and that probably Lee and Orange would take me on. Now I can only hope that I have made the right decision and will not regret, in years to come, that I did not seize the opportunity when it was presented.