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PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

Reference :-

C.O.885

21 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC-

COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO

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Transfer to the Imperial Institute has been suggested, but would, for more reasons than one, not meet the case. I had contemplated the possibility of transfer to the Royal Colonial Institute, who have lately been taking up with some vigour the work of lecturing on the Dominions and Colonies, but I gather that the work at present being undertaken by that Institute is not of the same class us ours, and that for this and other reasons transfer in this direction would not commend itself to at any rate some of my colleagues.

There remain among other agencies the Victoria League and the League of the Empire. These two Leagues are unfortunately not at one. The Committee have had relations with both, and it would be difficult to transfer our work to the one to the exclusion of the other. Sir Philip Hutchins, the representative on the Committee of the League of the Empire (n letter from whom is printed separately), while strongly deprecating any recommenda- tion that the work should be handed over to the Victoria League alone, has suggested that it should be made over to a joint Committee of the two Leagues, but the views of the Victoria League upon this proposal have not yet been ascertained. If this is not possible, he would make the transfer to the Imperial Education Trust, a body which has been constituted by the League of the Empire, with full discretional powers to further Imperial education in any way it thinks proper, which holds the copyright of the three Imperial text books published under the auspices of that League, and which from the proceeds of those books enjoys a substantial income and is able to bear the cost of the three sets of lectures still awaiting publication. If it is thought that this Trust is too closely connected with the League which he represents, he thinks there would be no difficulty about replacing (say) two of the Trustees with members of the Visual Instruction Com- mittee, and possibly an Organising Secretary, approved by this Committee, might be appointed to push the lectures commercially.

It must be borne in mind that no transfer can take place without first ascertaining what Her Majesty's wishes may be on the subject.

The possibility has been suggested of retaining the preparation of the lectures at this office under the existing Committee, and leaving to an outside organisation the agency work, the commercial side of the scheme, but it might be difficult financially to make any such division. Mr. Mackinder, however, in the letter which is circulated separately with this memorandum favours some such arrangement.

In considering whether or not transfer of the scheme from the Colonial Office to a non-official organisation would be advisable, an important point is whether, if the connexion with the Colonial Office were severed, the members of the present Committee would continue to serve, and I apprehend that some of them at any rate would not, which I consider a great misfortune, for I have tried already to emphasise that the continuous attention which has been given to the scheme by experts of high standing is perhaps the most valuable feature of it. On the other hand I find it most difficult to conclude that the scheme can find its permanent home in the Colonial Office.

Assuming that it were decided to transfer the work to an outside organisation, I think the decision as to what

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organisation it should be must depend largely on the extent to which the Committee's funds are likely to be supplemented.

September 1911.

C. P. L.

The Committee, having considered this Memorandum, recommend as follows:-

(a) that the above considerations be laid before

Mr. Harcourt;

(b) that it be suggested to him that existing conditions should continue for the present, and that a representative of the Colonial Office he appointed to the Committee in Sir C. Lucas's place, leaving him to con- tinue a member in a private capacity;

(e) that the lectures now in hand be pressed on as much as possible, but that the publica- tion be not carried out to the extent of exhausting every available penny that we have. In other words-subject to our agreement with Mr. Sargent-that we do not necessarily publish all the three sets of lectures in hand, although we prepare for publication." noted that Sir E. im Thurn and Sir It may be Charles Lucas are quite willing, if wanted, to take an active part in revising the lectures. When these lectures have been completed, which will take at least another six months, the whole position must be reconsidered. (d) That Mr. Harcourt's wishes be ascertained as to whether the work should, sub- sequently, be transferred to an outside organisation or be permanently retained within the Colonial Office. The Com- mittee are of opinion that it is very desirable in the interests of education that their present status should be retained.

(e) That when at least two further sets of lectures are complete, the Secretary of State should be asked to have a circular despatch sent to the colonies explaining and commend- ing them and the Indian lectures as Mr. Lyttelton's circular despatch of April, 1905, explained and commended the original set of lectures.

28th September 1911.

20915

B

IV

APPENDIX A.

STATEMENT OF RECEIPTS AND EXPENDITURE IN CONNEXION WITH THE EASTERN LECTURES ACCOUNT FROM THE 4TH OCTOBER, 1904, TO THE 7TH APRIL, 1911.