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The question of setting up a statutory body empowered to confer degrees in the name of Hong Kong University, was mentioned to Dr. Gordon King when he made his preliminary visit to the Office this morning.
Dr. Gordon King's view was that it might be well for any action in regard to actually conferring degrees to be dealt with in one act after the war is over. His point was that the Hong Kong medical graduates did not need recognition by the General Medical Council so long as they are in China and this would only be necessary when they go back to Hong Kong or to other British territories after the war. The conferring of degrees now while they are in China might conceivably have undesirable political repercussions.
Mr. Paskin pointed out that in this case an Order in Council setting up a degree conferring body would not be necessary since the statutes of the University would be revived after the war and Hong Kong University itself could take the necessary action. On the other hand, it might well be that we should need qualified Chinese doctors to serve in the Civil Affairs administration in Hong Kong and perhaps also in Malaya. (Many of the Hong Kong medical graduates are, in fact, Malayan-born). was hardly conceivable that the War Office would consent to commission in the R.A.M.C. Chinese who had not got degrees recognised by the General Medical Council, and clearly if they were required in this capacity it would be before the time when the functions of the University will be fully restored.
If it is possible to suggest some means whereby these Chinese could be sufficiently recognised by the General
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