ач
whatever the actual Chinese official feeling was in
high circles there was always the possibility that the hands of the Government may be forced by public opinion
or outside press.
Mr. Morse referred to expenditure at the present
time and said he took it that the form of financial
support which the University would get would be a grant
which would not be an enormous sum.
The Chairman said he thought the estimate
suggested was underestimated at least ten times. It
was evidence as to what they were up against and he
would say that it was quite useless to do anything at
all unless it was something equal to the best that the
Chinese Universities could produce. The Chairman
mentioned a letter he had had from Mr. Needham a
hard-headed scientist. He mentioned that there were
10 Universities in Class 1, he based another 10 on a
level with the better provincial colleges. He thought
most of the institutions were on the same level as our
universities at home. He did not think the II.K.
University could be specialised but it had to be good.
As to subjects there would have to be physics and bio-
chemistry. That would mean a start at £120,000 for
equipment straight away.
Professor Hinton raised the point of the ceding of
Hong Kong after ten years. He said that in starting the
University now we would eventually be no worse off if
we had to leave Hong Kong than when we get out of India.
He really thought we had only ten years in which to get
established.
Sir Humphrey Prideauc Brune thought it was no
argument for spending a lot of money on it, but he
felt sure the Secretary of State for the Colonies would
provide as much money as possible in any case and it
would be the continuity of a contribution which would
survive.
The