CO129-443 - Governor Sir May - 1917 [7-9] — Page 134

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sir,

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HONGKONG General Chamber of Commerce.

Hongkong 25th. May, 1917.

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I am directed to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of 2nd. instant on the subject of the education of

Chinese under British influence in China.

I am to state that in response to your

suggestion a meeting of the Committee was subsequently arranged at which Sir Charles Eliot, the Vice-Chancellor of the Hongkong University, expressed his views on this subject.

My Committee have for some time felt that

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British efforts in this matter, especially in South China, wore anall as compared with that of other nations and more particular-

ly the United States of America, and their views were more than

confirmed by Sir Charles Eliot. It would appear that British

influence in South China le practically non-existent, and they

were astonished to hear from Sir Charles that in the whole of

the Hongkong University there is only one student from a school in Cantor City (The Sacred Heart School) apart from those sent

by the provincial Chinese Government. There are others whose

parente reside in the Canton distriot but they have been

educated at Queen'e College, Hongkong.

There is also only one

student from Swatow. There is an Anglo-Chinese College at

Swatow, but it does not appear to produce pupils who ocme up

to the standard required by the Hongkong University viz.

ability to understand a lecture in English. The Committee however

understand that other prospective students have endeavoured

to pass a preliminary examination, but that their knowledge of

English has been entirely insufficient, notwithstanding the

comparatively low standard.

At the present time the Schools at Canton

consiste of

1. A Chinese High School (which de not very well adapted

to furnish students to the Hongkong University)

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