CO129-448 - Governor Sir May - 1918 [4-6] — Page 161

Cantlemen,

33985

d.

PFC REG 1 JUL 18

Consulate-General,

Yurmanfu, March 1ạt, 1918.

160

I am endeavouring to raisa a fund, in

the form of amual subscriptions to provide scholarships for Yunnan students at the Hongkong University and I venture to address you in the hope that you will afford us your co- operation and support.

Yunnan, as you are aware, is immensely rich in mineral woolth and offers a god opening for British trade both in importa na wall os exports, it is x-torminous with Britiah territory for hundreds of miles and its future development is intimately connected with important British interests. The Franch are carrying on a very active propogan- da, both political and economio, and American and Japanese firms are also interesting themselves in the province, and spart from the desirability of Hongkong houses paying much more attention to the possibilities of trade here than they hare hitherto done, it is of the utmost importance that British influence should predominate and British idens be disseminated throughout the province. The most effective way of achieving this and is by training Turmese students in British educational establishments, and for this purpose the Hongkong University stands ready and close at hand.

There is a great demand in Yunan for facilities for learning English, which is taught in numerous Goverment and private schools throughout the province: in Yumanfu alone there are hundreds of students learning Anglish, and may of us, British and American, are taking classes to assist the maro advanced students with their English.

But