3/5
Mr Logan
HONG KONG POLYTECHNIC
CONFIDENTIAL
M Laid
Thica
bery helpful note & put, the record
Straight
H.R.
1. When Mr P Y Tang called on Mr Royle recently he launched into a long and most confused account of what he alleged were promises made by Lord Shepherd to the effect that HMG would make a grant of £1 million to Hong Kong towards the cost of building and equipping a library for the new polytechnic in return for agreement to a defence contribution from Hong Kong of £5 million a year. Mr Royle pointed out to Mr Tang that Lord Shepherd had had nothing to do with the defence contribution negotiations between HMG and the Hong Kong Government in 1966. At that time, Mr Lee, the Colonial Secretary, had been responsible for HMG's relations with Hong Kong.
Mr Tang accepted that there was no official record indicating that any promises of such a nature had been made at any time. maintained however that the Unofficial Members of the Councils had definitely been led to believe that HMG would assist the Colony in this way.
He
2. After Mr Tang had left Mr Royle asked me to speak to Mr Michael Herries about this to see if there was anything in what Mr Tang had been saying about money for a library for the
polytechnic.
His I have discussed this with Mr Herries. view is that the polytechnic has no need for additional funds from anywhere. He thought however that HMG could help by assisting with the recruitment of suitable staff.
3. now.
Mr Tang has been making these allegations for some time
We have looked into the matter most carefully and have been able to find nothing to substantiate Mr Tang's belief. Mr Godden, who visited Hong Kong with Lord Shepherd, has no recollection of anything of this kind. Mr Canning, Director of Education Hong Kong, is quite sure that Mr Tang is wrong. In his view no aid had been either promised or suggested.
tt
4. In October last year Sir L Monson wrote to Sir A Galsworthy in Wellington telling him that during Mr Royle's visit to Hong Kong one or two of the Unofficial Members had said that when Mr Lee negotiated the current defence contribution he gave an undertaking that Hong Kong would be compensated" as it were for agreeing to a defence contribution by receiving sympathetic consideration in the aid field. Sir L Monson asked if Sir A Galsworthy had any recollection of such an undertaking. Galsworthy replied at length. The following is an extract from his letter:
Sir A
"The short answer is that Mr Fred Lee entered into no commitment to provide aid; and the only undertaking he gave was that he would endeavour to have the possibility examined
This was not at as sympathetically as he could in London. any time expressed as being a quid pro quo or for agreement on the part of the unofficials to an increased defence contribution.'
compensation"
15.
CONFIDENTIAL