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establishment of a technical school. I pointed out that it was
obvious that the existence of such a school would be prejudicial to
the interests of the University. I pointed out that many Chinese
if they could get a certificate from such a school in mechanical
engineering without going to the trouble of learning English and
without the delay and expense of a University career would be
content with such certificates and would subsequently masquerade
in China as Hongkong Qualified Engineers. I then asked Mr.
McPherson if he and the other European and American supporters of
the Chinese Y.M.C.A., would be satisfied if the site in Bridges
Street were sold to the Chinese Y.M.C.A. only for the purposes he
had indicated, and on condition that the land or buildings thereon
should not be used for any educational purpose which, in the opini-
-on of the Governor-in-Council, would be prejudicial to the
interests of the University. He said that they would be perfectly
satisfied with these conditions. I then said that while I could not
commit this Government to any promise, I might be prepared to con- -sider the question along those lines, and I promised to commumi-
-cate with him further on the subject.
Mr. McPherson then asked permission to refer to the
question of the International Y.M.C.A. erecting a building for
recreation purposes for the use of the members of the Hongkong
University Union. He said that both Professor Smith and Dr. Clark
had told him that the Union were very desirous of obtaining such a
building, and that they (Professor Smith and Dr. Clark) saw no
objection to the project. I reminded Mr. McPherson that this
question had already been before the University Council, which had
decided that it could not accept the offer of the International Y.M.C.A., and that I personally was not prepared to reopen the
question.
13th. May, 1913.
(Sd.) F. H. May.