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20 CONFIDENTIAL Mr. Callaghan: Thank you very much. John Bierman: Mr. Hills, while you were under sentence of death, did you ever believe that you would come out of it alive? Mr. Hills: Well I think I have that veiled quotation about hope springs eternal. But I had accepted the decision and now that the decision has been revoked I am now adjusting to being here which is a new problem for me. I have accepted the punishment and after all having been in the army, I had accepted it. Peter Snow: Don't you think it was a bit foolish to say that President Amin was a village tyrant. What do you think . . . ? Mr. Hills: I think it was unparliamentary language. I regret it now. And some other phrases for which I have in fact expressed my regret in writing to the President. Question: Mr, Hills, are you going ahead with the publication of your book? Mr. Hills: I haven't been in touch with my publishers. I would think so. I might like to revise part of it—or even add to it. I haven't seen my publishers and 98 per cent of my book is very harmless. It is autobiographical. Question: Do you hope, Mr. Hills, that your wife and children in Kampala will join you soon ? Mr. Hills: Oh yes. My wife is lecturing at University. She has a duty to finish her contract and I am looking forward to seeing my family in the fairly near future. Question: But you are confident that they will be able to join you again ? Mr. Hills: Oh yes, there will be no difficulty at all. Mr. Callaghan: Mr. Hills saw his wife at State House. We arranged with the British High Commission that they should meet before we left on the aircraft this morning. Well look, we have given him a good commercial for his book. I have told him he is bound to have a paperback edition and I think on that note we ought to let him go. His family is waiting. He's still got a three hours' drive. It's for him to say, but as I understand it he doesn't wish to give interviews for the time being. And indeed I think it probably would be wise for him not to go into much detail at the present time but that of course is a decision that he himself will take. Question: . . . remaining Britons in Uganda? Mr. Callaghan: I think they know exactly the position and they will take their own decisions. Question: Are you not going to give them any advice? Mr. Callaghan: There is no need to . . . They are grown up. They have many of them lived there for a long time. I have talked to them and they know exactly what the position is. Question: Can you tell us exactly what happened when Mr. Hills came in and met you this morning, in your own words? Answer: Yes, he came in and bowed to the President. And then the President indicated I was there. He shook hands with me and obviously he wasn't altogether composed. He was extremely tense but he looked up and said, " Mr. Callaghan isn't it?". I said "yes that is right" and I felt a little like Stanley when he said " Dr. Livingstone I presume?". CONFIDENTIAL