54147/48
Ogde
OUTWARD TELEGRA!!
16 230
TO HONG KONG (Sir A. Grantham)
FROM S. OF S., COLONIES.
Sept 15th March, 19448. 10,30 hrs...
No. 342 0cefidentisi.
Your savingram No. 28 of 12th Jemary and your
telegram No. 197. Houg Kong University
My telegram No. 328 approved proposals in paragraphe 4 and 5 of your savingram for meeting capital and recurrent coste of re-establishment on pre-1941 scale.
As regeris draft statement enclosed with your earingram and question of publication of Advisory Committee's Report see my tetygram No. 258, Conclusion has been reached thet it rould be definitely undesirable to publiah seport at the present time, Apert from rejsetion of Committee's main recommendationD, there are 3015 passages ia Report which might give rise to some very awkward repercussions if the report were publlobed, passages in queation are references both direct and ind \rect to
13).
(a) British prestige in the Per East (paragraphs 2 and
(b) spreading of British clture and influence in Chins (paragraphs 15, 17 and 27), see especially quotation of Foreign Office 1939 view in paragraph 15,
(c) "Imperial" purpose to be served by University (parmaraph 20),
(d) uncertainty of future status of Hong Kong (paragraphe 4, 5, 24 and 26). It would be must unfortuna te to give any impression the there is any uncertainty about the future of Hong Kong. Chairman of Advisory Committee and Foreign office both agree that Report de unt suitable for publication, and I shall be glad to know whether you also accept this view.
3. Not-publication of Report will accessitate some smplification of reference uc Cogoltteo's recommend÷sion in the draft statement enclosed with your ssvingram. Some other wepinerte have been sugécsted in that draft as the result of its examination here, and 7 shall be glad of your early comments on these ancalmente, as net out in ap immediately following telegram.
When autement finally agreed Foreign Office would be grateful if advaree copy could be sent to Foreign Office Information Officer, Shapgital.
Copice sent tos
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Foreign Office
Treasury
1024
MA. A.0, 800st.
MacDerace be
Me. D.R. Berpoll, 0.5.E.
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