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Foreign Office are not in a position to speak in any way for
the College, but so far as we are concerned we should be very
glad if you were to write to the Chinese Minister of Industry
at Nanking in the sense of the first paragraph of Section IV of
your memorandum. If you would like me to send the letter through
Lampson, and ask him to back this proposal, I should be very glad
to do so. The Department of Overseas Trade observe in this
connection that their experience in respect of all Oriental
students sent Overseas for the purpose of study points to the
great necessity for the careful selection of students, strict
limitation of their numbers, and, above all, the consideration
of the probability of obtaining employment on their return to
their native country. These considerations will, I expect, seem
to you to be elementary.
4.
Students' expenses and provision of any extra buildings
or staff. I am afraid that the prospects of financial assistance
here are not bright. The Universities China Committee will shortly
receive £200,000 (two hundred thousand pounds) for certain purposes
set out in the First Schedule to the Act of which I enclose a copy.
But it seems very doubtful whether the payment of the fees and
other expenses of Chinese students at the Imperial College at
Trinidad could be brought within the scope of these purposes.
You might care to discuss this point with Mr. H. T. Silcock, the
Secretary of the Committee, whose address is Friends House,
Euston Road, N. W. 1. (Telephone number Museum 6334.)
5.
As regards the Imperial College of Tropical Agriculture,
you will, of course, already have been in frequent consultation
with the Colonial Office.
I hope that, perhaps, they may be able to provide some part,
at least, of the funds needed to carry out your excellent project.
Yours very sincerely,
(Signed) HUGH DALTON.
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