82747
Nanking,
China,
167
November 8th, 1931.
<
Sir,
5902
I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt
of your letter No. 82747/31 of the 1st September, which I found awaiting me on my arrival at Peiping a short time ago.
2. I shall be happy to act in accordance
with the request of the Secretary of State that I should visit Hong Kong with a view to discussing the points raised by the
British Economic Mission regarding cultural relations with China
I have informed Sir William Hornell, Vice-Chancellor of the
University, that I expect to be in Hong Kong on the 25th inst. Unless the China Universities Committee expresses a desire that I should remain longer in China, I propose to leave Hong Kong by the P.&0. ss "Rajputana" on December 5th, and should reach
England on or about January 8th.
3. Perhaps I may take this opportunity of stating that I have received from Sir William Hornell a copy
of his minute of 22nd August last on the subject of the matters discussed in Chapter VIII of the Economic Mission's Report, and I have no hesitation in expressing my general agreement with his views, especially in respect of his criticism of the
recent Boxer Indemnity Agreement. I have attended meetings
of the Standing Committee of the Board of Trustees created
under that Agreement, and I have discussed the matter with
many other persons, Chinese and British, who are interested
in the general subject of Anglo-Chinese cultural relations, and I regret to say that the fears expressed in a letter which
I addressed to the Master of Balliol (Chairman of the Universi-
ties China Committee) on July 6th last, with regard to the