CO129-492 - Governor Sir Clementi - 1925 [12] - 1926 [1-5] — Page 253

COPY.

Eveloeuse No. 1

4th February, 1926.

247

Dear Lord Willingdon,

Welcome to China.

Mr. Barton will hand this to you on your arrival

in Shanghai.

Forgive my importunacy.

but the atmosphere of the Far East to-day is so charged

with misunderstanding that I do want you to have from the start direct information about the University of Hongkong.

I also venture to repeat with all the emphasis of which a

I had letter permits and a cable does not, how grateful

almost said relieved - I should be, if you could see your

way to paying us a visit, before you go to Pekin.

A

•

2. It is sometimes suggested that the Government of Hongkong started the University on their own initiative

and for their own purposes. It is therefore, it is argued, up to the Government of Hongkong to pay for their expensive child. "It is a Hongkong venture, let Hongkong see it through".

It is true that Sir Frederick Lugard was keen on having

University in Hongkong, but when the project was first mooted,

he made it quite clear that the revenues of the Colony could

not undertake any responsibility for carrying the scheme

through. In March 1908

opened

-

-

4 years before the University wai

Sir Frederick explained to the principal residents

of Hongkong that, though he was ready to recommend to the

Secretary of State the gift of an adequate site, and though,

if the project succeeded the Government would necessarily be

closely connected with the University's control, he, as head of the Hongkong Government could accept no responsibility, on behalf of the Hongkong Government, for the University's

maintenance. The University must in fact be financially

independent.