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HOUSE OF COMMONS
[Mr. Dalton.]
for the following purposes: (i) To arrange for
representative Chinese men and women to visit and lec- ture in the United Kingdom and repre- sentative British men and women to visit and lecture in China;
(ii) To assist Chinese students coming to the United Kingdom to find hospitality and suitable living accommodation;
(iii) To advise Chinese students as to their course of studies in the United King- dom and as to other matters connected therewith;
(iv) To encourage and facilitate the teaching of the Chinese language and literature at the universities of the United Kingdom by the endowment for those pur- of professorships and lectureships, poses or otherwise;
(v) Generally to encourage closer intel- lectual co-operation and to promote cul- tural relations between China and the United Kingdom."
This Amendment represents the result of discussions and agreement between myself and the representatives of the Universities who raised this matter last week and the representations of the Universities China Committee, which is to receive this grant. [Interruption.] I am still confident that it is not strictly that it would have been necessary, possible without this Amendment for the Universities to utilise some of their funds for the teaching of the Chinese lan- guage, but in order to make it clear this form of words has been designed as the result of discussion and agreement. The Government were anxious to leave the Universities China Committee reasonably free, but the Government are quite sympathetic and would be very glad to see some part of the money used in this way. I may say that in a general way I am sympathetic to the purpose of the two Amendments to the proposed Amend- ment, which the hon. Member for North- ampton (Mr. Malone) has, on the paper- (1) in line 1, at the end, to insert the words:
a
(i) The establishment in Great Britain of China Institute, which shall be the administrative organ of the Universities China Committee and shall be jointly con- trolled by British and Chinese.
(2) in line 11, to leave our paragraph (v), and to insert instead thereof the words:
(v) To maintain an information service and reference library and generally to en- courage closer intellectual co-operation, and to promote relations between China and the United Kingdom.
(Application) Bill.
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(vi) To issue publications as necessary. Provided that at least one-third of the members of the Universities China Com- mittee shall be Chinese subjects "-
but I hope he will not press them, be- cause if he did, it would be extending un- duly the list of specific purposes for which this money might be devoted.
I can tell him for his own information that the re presentatives of the Universities of the Universities China Committee said they would be glad to see the development along the lines he suggests, but my Amendment goes as far as they are likely to want. For that reason, I hope he will not press his Amendments. The hon. and gallant Member for Gainsborough (Captain Crookshank) is not here, but were he to move the Amendments standing in his
name, I would be prepared to accept them. I hope in view
that of the full discussion we have had that this Amendment will meet with the general view.
<f
Mr. C. WILLIAMS: I beg to move as an Amendment to the proposed Amend- ment, in line 2, to leave out the word representative," and to insert instead thereof the word "such." I do so on behalf of my hon. and gallant Friend the Member for Gainsborough (Captain
Crookshank).
Commander SOUTHBY: I beg second the Amendment.
to
Amendment to proposed Amendment agreed to.
Further Amendments made to proposed Amendment: In line 3, leave out the word "representative," and insert in- stead thereof the word such."
Of
In line 4, at the end, insert the words
may seem to them suitable." [Mr. C. Williams.]
as
Proposed words, as amended, there in- serted in the Bill.
Motion made, and Question proposed, "That the proposed words, as amended, be there inserted in the Bill."
sure
em-
Mr. GODFREY WILSON: I am that the Under-Secretary will get barrassed by the compliments that have fallen on his head, and I had intended and had wished on behalf of my col. leagues who represent the Universities to thank him for his help in meeting the difficulties that we have had. We felt strongly that the cultural relations that
19 FEBRUARY 1931
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China Indemnity
exist between China and the United Kingdom could hardly be better served than by utilising this opportunity to im prove the teaching of the Chinese lan- guage and the encouragement of the study of Chinese literature, and, when this Bill was before the Committee, we
the assurance from the hon. Gentle- man that this suggestion met with his approval and that of the Government. Then it appeared that in the draft charter of the Universities of China Committee the first three of these par- ticular proposals were included in the was to purposes that that Committee cover, but that the fourth was not speci- fically mentioned. We felt very strongly on this point. However, we are now per- fectly satisfied, and we thank the hon. Member for the trouble that he has taken.
1.0 a.m.
There is just one point that I should like to emphasise, and that is the hope that the Universities of China Committee may realise that economy and efficiency will be best served if they use this money in a concentrated form rather than scat- tering it in small sums over the whole of the Universities. There are already three or four of the great universi- ties in England where profes- sorial Chairs of Chinese exist. Certainly in Oxford and Cambridge very valuable libraries are already in exist- ence. I hope they will bear in mind that it is better to help those universities where the teaching of Chinese and libraries already exist than to spread out the assistance to universities where these are not already begun.
FC
Sir JOHN WITHERS: May I also give the hon. Gentleman my thanks. My attention has been drawn to the words in para. (iv) or otherwise." It has been suggested that that is cutting down the universities, but I do not look at it in that light.
"
Mr. DALTON: Otherwise " include libraries.
would
Sir J. WITHERS: I would like to give my thanks to another Member of the House for assistance in this matter. Look- ing through the Second Reading Debate in the OFFICIAL REPORT I see this plan was raised by the hon. Member for Torquay (Mr. C. Williams) who is always in the van of progress.
(Application) Bill.
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Miss RATHBONE: I do not want to hinder the House, but I should just like to add my word of thanks to the Under- Secretary for the spirit in which he has met the universities. The group of uni- versities which I represent are also inter- ested in this matter. [Interruption]. At Manchester owing to the very small amount of money they were able to devote -the university possesses a small endow- ment for Chinese-they were unable to obtain adequate professorial assistance. With the help we now hope to get from the China Committee I think the uni- versity will be able to go forward with the study of Chinese for cultural pur- poses and for valuable commercial use in such a great city as Manchester.
Mr. RENNIE SMITH: The work the university Members have put into this Bill is admirably represented in the Amendment before the House. When university representation in this House is in danger of disappearing we welcome the good work which the University representatives have embodied in this notable Amendment. I think it is fitting that a word of praise should be paid to the university Members in this House. [Interruption]. For generations yet to be they have erected a monument in memory of themselves.
Mr. ALBERY: I wish to make a few short observations on paragraph (iv). It appears to me that the Members for the universities in framing this paragraph have succeeded only too well in looking after the special and sole interests of the universities in this matter. It appears to me the Clause would have been better if the words relating to the universities had been left out. That would not have pre- vented the universities carrying out their present intentions, but it might well be that it would be very desirable to give instruction in
of the schools, perhaps of a technical nature, perhaps for commercial purposes, which would be readily available to those who have entered into some form of employment, such as bank clerks, junior engineers, etc., to whom it might be a great of advantage to acquire knowledge Chinese. I should be grateful-if it is not too late-if the Members for the
some
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