[This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government, and should be
returned to the Foreign Office if not required for official use.]
(F 2182/57/10)
To CHINA,
Cypher telegram to Sir M. Iampson (Peking)
Foreign Office, 8th May 1929, 6.20 p.m.
No. 139.
(33)
Your telegram No. 389 (of 2nd May) and Mr.
Newton's telegrams Nos. 82 and 64 (China Indemnity).
I understand Dr. Wang agrees to use af funds
for educational purposes and to proposed endowment
fund, also to grants for Hongkong University and
Universities China Committee; and I note that Chinese
government would themselves propose to have a Board of
Trustees. But I am disappointed that Chinese govern-
ment should hesitate to give specific assurances re-
garding nature or investment for endowment fund and to bind themselves by any clear undertaking that railway and other material will be purchased in
Great Britain.
You should yourself discuss the question with
Dr. Wang, pointing cut that the funds are at present under Parliamentary control and that Parliamentary con sent must be obtained for any proposal which departs
from the 1925 Act. The difficulty cannot therefore be
met by verbal assurances recorded in minutos, nor is it a question of merely providing for the case of "enquiries being made on the subject in Farliement".
In order to obtain the assent or Parliament His
Majesty's Government must be able to assure Parliament that money will be spent in part for objects directly