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be forged by time the bonds of enduring friendliness.
Imperial prestige. 11. If the University now died or
languished for lack of Imperial aid the conclusion to be drawn would surely be not only that Great Britain but that the Empire was exhausted by the late long struggle and content to leave the future, at least in this region, to be moulded by the th ughts and efforts of others. In a minor way, therefore, the future of Hong Kong is a challonge also to the Dominions and the loss of British prestige would touch them also.
Colonial resources limited.
Loss of prestigo in mere continuancé.
12.
It is manifestly impossible for the Government of Hong Kong to maintain on the frontiers of Asia a University able to meet the inevitable demands of such a situation. The Colony consists of little beyond the mainly Chinese city of Victoria. It has suffered great material loss from bombing and fires. The rehabilitation of its people, its harbours, the factories and communications necessary, if it is to regain its place in cne of the great centres of commerco, will tax its resources. If in addition, it can re-cstablish its own education system, it is as much as it can be reasonably expecteû to do in the way of restoring prestige by recreating confidence in the quality of British government. It would be utterly unreasonable to expect it to face the cost of developing at this time, Creat British University for the benefit of China. If it continues the measure of support it hitherto has been able to give, no more should be expected.
13. If the University can look for no greater aid from all sources than it was able to command before the war, and as a consequence, the bost to be expected is a University such as thon existed, or in these days of even mor difficult finance, ovon less than that, wo shoul regard the prospect as likely to have an ill effect hardly less than would result from the abandonment of the idea of a University.
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1. Such a British University, the only British University as yot in the Far East, placed on the flank of China, would bo compared with both Chinese and the American- Chinese Universities. It might be better to accept the loss of prestige that would be consequent on the reduction of the University to the status of a group of Colleges of less rank than to face permanently the judgment 2 pretentious inferiority.
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