CO129-501-2 Chinese situation- Boxer indemnity 5-2-1927 - 14-12-1927 — Page 136

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available members of the Advisory Committee on February 23rd

They were unanimously of opinion that all the points raised

by the Governor of Hongkong in his despatch had already been:

very carefully considered by them, and that Hongkong Univer-

sity in particular had been specifically recommended in thei

Report for the sympathetic consideration of the Board of

Trustees.

As regards the University, however, they feel bound to

point out that the figures given (in the Vice-Chencellor's pamphlet "The University of Hongkong", page 40) are not very

encouraging. In 1925, there were only 267 students (of

whom 240 were Chinese and 47 non-Chinese). Of the Chinese

students, 134 came from Hongkong and Kwangtung, 50 from the

Federated Malay States, 18 from Java, and 10 from other

places outside China, thus leaving 28 students only for the

rest of China proper.

These facts may be an argument in

favour of strengthening the University financially; they

also

onзtitute/a very strong argument against spending Indem-

nity money on an Institution whose appeal to the Chinese of

China itself is obviously very limited. In any case the Committee do not accept the Governor's contention that "the Hongkong University is at the moment the only institution in China (sic) for the education of Chinese on which the Indemnity money could be spent safely, advantageously and

at once".

The main argument against the Governor's suggestions is that they run counter to the policy hitherto pursued by His Majesty's Government in the matter; that they would be

contrary...