(LC 2511/871/452)
Foreign Office,
London, S.W.1.
52
rece
14th July, 1948
CONFIDENTIAL
Dian Firmam,
C
Will you please refer to MacDermot's letter
(20), LC 1117/871/452 of the 18th March last to Mayle, concerning
the publication of the Hong Kong University Advisory Committee's Report?
2.
We have now received copies of Sir A. Grantham's telegrams
(48) (49) Nos. 587 and 588, from which I see, firstly, that he recommends
(16)
publication, and secondly, that he proposes the deletion of passages from paragraphs 4, 5, 13, 15 and 24. These suggested deletions cover three of the passages mentioned in paragraph 2 (d) of your telegram No.342 to Hong Kong, regarding which MacDermot expressed particular concern, but they do not cover the passage in paragraph 26 of the Report, which reads "that it could better survive political changes if it were an independent, self-governing entity".
3.
We think that this passage, too, would be better omitted, and when you consider the question of publishing the Report we should be glad if you would bear this in mind. Its omission would mean that the two concluding lines of the paragraph would require amendment, and I suggest that the whole passage might be made to read:-
the facts that it would not be the university of the Colony in which it is situated so that local governmental control would be peculiarly inappropriate, and that it could more successfully fulfil its special mission if it were an independent, self-governing entity, formally as well as actually free from government direction. "
J.B. Side botham, Esq., C.MG.,
Colonial Office,
London, S.W.1.
sim mely
Dr. Finch
(J.P.G.FINCH)