363
China Indemnity
Turton, Robert Hugh Wallace, Capt. D. E. (Hornsey) Ward, Lieut. Col. Sir A. Lambert Wardlaw-Milne, J. S. Warrender. Sir Victor Waterhouse, Captain Charles Wayland, Sir William A. Wells, Sydney R.
10 FEBRUARY 1931
Williams, Charles (Devon, Torquay) Wilson, G. H. A. (Cambridge U.) Windsor-Clive, Lleut.-Colonel George Winterton, Rt. Hon. Earl Withers, Sir John James Wolmer, Rt. Hon. Viscount Womersley, W. J.
Wood, Rt. Hon. Sir Kingsley
Bill read the Third time, and passed.
CHINA INDEMNITY (APPLICATION) BILL.
Not amended (in the Standing Com- mittee) considered.
Lord HUGH CECIL: I beg to move, "That the further consideration of the Bill be now adjourned."
I can assure the Government that this Motion is not due to any hostility to the Bill, but merely in order that an oppor- tunity may be given to those who are interested in it from an educational point of view to propose such Amend- ments to the Bill as we think may be required. [HON. MEMBERS: "Speak up; we cannot hear you!"] We are very anxious that in the arrangements which are made in the Bill the interests of Chinese culture in the universities should be considered. No provision is made in the Bill for supporting those studies even in the universities which have already devoted some attention to them. There is provision in the Schedule for £200,000 to be given to the universities, and it is to be administered by a committee which is to be a chartered body. The proposed charter has not yet received the Royal approbation and its exact purport is not yet known. But, as far as it is known, it does not appear to make provision for supporting the studies in Chinese language and culture in the universities which have so far been devoting them- selves to the subject, and we are anxious to have a full opportunity of thinking the matter over and so being able to formulate whatever Amendment is re- quired to provide that those universities which have already devoted their atten- tion to Chinese culture should receive whatever support can be given to them out of the indemnity. It seems rather strange, though I have no doubt the Government have good reasons for it, to give £200,000 out of the indemnity to a body which has not yet any legal exist- ence. This committee has not yet received the Royal Charter, I understand, and it is odd that the Bill should be carried out
(Application) Bill.
364
Worthington-Evans, Rt. Hon. Sir L. Wright, Brig. Gen. W. D. (Tavist'k) Young, Rt. Hon. Sir Hilton
TELLERS FOR THE NOES.- Commander Sir Bolton Eyres- Monsell and Major Sir George Hennessy.
of the House of Commons to the other House of Parliament with a provision in it which gives £200,000 to a body which has not yet any legal position.
Therefore, we are anxious for a little time in which to think the thing over, not with the smallest hostility to the Bill or to what the Government design in it, but in order to carry out what, I am sure, they wish as much as we, namely, the cultivation of Chinese studies in London, and the use of the money for the purpose of such studies. For this reason I have been asked to move a short postponement, of some days, perhaps, in order that we may look into the matter and formulate our proposals in a more distinct form. I do not know whether the Government would be prepared to receive a deputation from the universities interested, but I feel sure that, in what- ever way it may be brought about, there might be a private interchange of counsel between the Government and the univer- sities interested, with the object of pro- moting this object which is common to us all.
I hope that the Government will be able to assent to this Motion, or, if not, to assure us of their co-operation in the object which we have at heart, which is to use this money to promote a mutual understanding between China and Great Britain by encouraging the study of the Chinese culture and language in the universities of this country.
The UNDER-SECRETARY of STATE for FOREIGN AFFAIRS (Mr. Dalton): The Noble Lord has moved this Motion in a speech with a great part of which I am in full sympathy. As he said, the universities have come forward in this matter rather late in the day. The Bill was printed before Christmas; it was read a Second time in this House with- out a Division; and during the Second Reading Debate the point which the Noble Lord has raised was not made by any of the university representatives in this House. It was then considered by a Standing Committee, and the point was raised by my hon. Friend the Mem-
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