CO129-507-1 Proposal to dispose of Boxer Indemnity funds- claim by Hong Kong university 21-12-1927 - 24-7-1928 — Page 112

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use in making any move out here and indeed considerable

risk. But the fact that other Great Powers, e.g. the

United States of America and Japan, as was pointed out in my despatch No. 655 of December 15th last, are finding it

possible to make some sort of headway with their cultural

schemes even under present conditions seems to make it all

the more desirable for us to give some proof that we also mean to carry out our proposals. If, however, public

opinion at home, both in and out of Parliament, has

definitely turned against these proposals, there is no

alternative but to leave the matter in its present unsatis-

factory state or to consider the suggestions put forward in

my despatch No.402.

5.

As regards the personnel of the provisional committee, J do not think that the difficulties of collecting six Chinese members acceptable to all parties should prove in-

superable. Of the five suggested British members, I under- stand that Dr. Balme is not likely to return to China. As Mr. Newton pointed out in his despatch No.271 of March 19th last, another North China candidate could be found in the person of Mr. P.H.B. Kent,

Tientsin interests as does

though he represents much the same

Colonel P.C. Young, and the

essential appears to be to have, in addition to Miss Spicer and Mr. Hubbard, who would presumably still be willing to serve, one member representative respectively of the commercial interests of north and south, and one member in Dr. Balme's place representative of the missionary-educational body in China. Such individuals should not be impossible to find, when the time comes.

6. In conclusion, at the risk of repetition I should like to say that my instinct is against any diversion of the funds and in favour of some move towards the carrying out of the proposals of the Willingdon Commission.

I

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