CO129-418 - Public Offices & Others - 1914 — Page 243

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Dear Mr. Alston,

TREASURY CHAMBERS,

WHITEHALL, S.W.

237

13th May, 1914.

I have spoken to the Chancellor about his alleged undertaking to make a grant in aid of the proposed University for Central China. Mr. Lloyd George's recollection of his conversation with M. Scott of the "Manchester Guardian" does not agree with Mr. Soothill's statement. The Chancellor of the Exchequer in the course of a conversation with Mr. Scott pointed out that when the proposal was he fore the Government last year its supporters were not in a position to guarantee one penny and that in such circumstances the Government were quite unable to consider the possibility of making a grant from the Exchequer. Mr. Lloyd George added that if the promoters

of the scheme could show that they had at their disposal a

sum of not less than £150,000 th Government would probably

he disposed favourably to consider an application for a

grant, though not necessarily a'similar" grant.

Yours very truly

Beilby F. Alston Esq.

(signed) .P. Hariltor

Foreign Office.

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