SIR HUGH STEPHENSON

Sir Hugh Stephenson, GBE, KCMG, CIE, CVO, who wa's Ambassador to South Africa from 1963 to 1966, and to Vietnam from 1954 to 1957, died on Saturday in London. He was 65. Stephenson was Consul-General in New York from 1957 to 1960 and a deputy Under-Secretary of State at *the Foreign Office from 1960 to 1963.

Hugh Southern Stephenson whose father was a Governor of Burma was born, pn November 29, .1906, and educated at Winchester and Christ Church, Oxford, where he took a first class degree in jurisprudence. He was called to the Bar by the Inner Temple. In 1931 Stephenson entered the Indian Civil Service. He was. UnderSecretary to the Government of India from 1935 to 1938 and Secretary to the Governor of the United Provinces from 1940 to 1944. He served as Collector and District Magistrate at Cawnpore until 1947 when he joined the Foreign Office.

Stephenson was in the British Middle East Office in Cairo for two years before being appointed Ambassador to Vietnam in 1954. He became the doyen of the Saigon diplomatic corps; he was there for the tumultuous period immediately after the end of the Indo-China war and the vast migration of refugees from North Vietnam.

'In 1963 he succeeded Sir John Maud as Ambassador to -South Africa. He was High Conimissioner of Basutoland, the' Bechuanaland Protectorate and Swaziland until this office was aboiished in 1964. He was the first Chfancellor of the new University' of Basutoland. Bechuanaland and Swaziland which was opened at Roma. Basutoland, in 1964. After Rh6desia declared unilateral' independence, Stephenson took part, in' consultations between'South Africa and Britain regarding the' international - bil embatgo.' 'When he retired 'he became Director-General of 'St John Ambulance 'Brigade.

Stephenson's past; experience in the Indian Civil Service gave him a natural sense of administration. As a diplomat he:' had excellent judgment of people anda calm and balanced view of political situation§. He had learned from the beginning never to panic 'and. that things were never so -good -or so bad -as when first reported. Stephenson and his wife had a ready facility 'for rakifig'friends wh'etever they were postect: 'He also had a stern sense of duty in that no long hours 'were ever, too long' when duty' demanded themd.

'He married in '1936 Patticia Elizabeth. daughter' of, MajorGeneral Sir Arthur Mills, and they had three sons.