28
11. Mr. Cox added that until the final form of the University
was settled and promises of adequate support by His Majesty's
Government had been given it was necessary to avoid long term
financial committments and the Committee were reluctant to
recommend re-opening before they knew that the University was to
be developed on the scale considered necessary.
12. Dr. Priestley asked Sir Mark Young how he would regard the
cessation of the University and the substitution of institutions
of lower status if His Majesty's Government were unable to support
the larger scheme.
13. Sir Mark Young emphasised strongly that in his view any
diminution of status would be a serious blow to British prestige.
He hoped that the subvention from the Imperial Government would be
forthcoming but if it were not it would be his hope that the
least
University would continue at heart on the limited basis possible on
the pre-war income. The closing down of the University would
appear as failure to recover from our recent calamity.
14. Dr. Priestley replied that this was the crux of the matter.
He recognised the damage that would be done to British prestige were
the University to be wound up but in his view, and he thought in the
view of the Committee, on a long view the damage to British reputation
would be even greater by the maintenance of an inferior University
on the borders of China where it invited comparison with the fine
Chinese and American institutions on the mainland. Moreover it was
unlikely that even the pre-war income would be maintained in view of
probable the likely diversion of students from Malayas their
15.
ماحسين
bawersity!
Mr. Cox thought it would be lamentable if in face of the expected
developments of the Chinese universities the future showed an
ineffective and struggling institution in Hong Kong. He pointed out,
however, that no assistance could be expected from the resources of
the Colonial Development and Welfare Fund since clearly this fund
was established for the needs of Colonial peoples and could not be
regarded as appropriate for a University designed primarily for the
Chinese.
/Sir