HONG KON NO.267.
Sir,
128
Colonial office,
Downing Street,
23rd Decomber, 1946.
I have the honour to refer to your savingram No.236(6381/ 45) of the 9th October, in which it is assumed that the Hong Kong Government is not financially responsible for the scholarships granted to five Chinese students in connection with the Federation of British Industries' Hong Kong Post-graduate Engineering Apprenticeships.
2. In December, 1943, Dr.Gordon King, in a report forwarded by the Ambassador on relief work in China undertaken on behalf of H.M.G. for refugees from Hong Kong, raised the question of whether arrangements could be made with the Federation of British Industries whereby their existing scheme, sponsored by the Chinese Government, for the training of Chinese engineering graduates, could be extended to Hong Kong refugee graduates. The relevant extract from Dr.Gordon King's report is given in Enclosure 1.
30 It was understood that before the war this scheme had included engineering graduates from Hong Kong and that the costs in their cases had been met by Messrs Butterfield and Swire as regards passages and from the Boxer Indemnity Fund with additions from the British Council as regards expense in this country. Hong Kong graduates were, however, not eligible for the Chinese Government sponsored scheme which admitted only candidates who were graduates of Chinese Universities. On the other bund the position of Hong Kong students in China in 1944 appeared particularly favourable since they were likely to be exempted from the Chine so Government's ban on their om students and technicians going abroad for study. In these circumstances, and as it was believed that on the liberation of Hong Kong there was likely to be a considerable need for qualified Chinese engineers, the F.B.I. were invited to sponsor a scheme on the lines put forward by Dr.King.
40 The Federation at first wished to make the condition that Hong Kong candidates should sign an undertaking to return and practise their profession in China itself as the primary object of their scheme was to develop trade and cultural relations with Uhina. This condition was resisted by this Department and eventually the Federation agreed to the proposal on the terms set out in their letter of the 21st November, 1944, a copy of which forms Enclosure 2. A copy of the Foreign Office telegram of 31st January, 1945, in which these arrangements were reported to His Majesty's Embassy in Chungking is also included as Enclosure 3.
5. While the scheme was under consideration by the F.B.I. the question of the source from which it should be financed was discussed in this Department. There appeared to be three possibilities:-
(a) from British Council funds,
(b) from a grant made under the Colonial Development and
Wolfare Act,
(0) from Hong Kong Government funde.
GOVERNOR
BIR HARK YOUNG, G.C.M.G.,
etc.,
eto..
etc.