CO129-507-1 Proposal to dispose of Boxer Indemnity funds- claim by Hong Kong university 21-12-1927 - 24-7-1928 — Page 58

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A Note by the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs (Paper C.P.412 (28)) covering telegraphic correspondence with His Majesty's Minister in Peking, who stated that the Nanking Government would be only too ready to agree to any terms within reason we might attach to uncon- ditional surrender, and suggested that the best thing to work for would be a voluntary declaration by the Chinese

of their intention to apply the recommendation of the

Advisory Committee in its entirety, plus an undertaking

to place such orders as might arise thereunder in regard

to railway construction, conservancy work, etc., in

Great Britain. Sir Miles Lampson also in this corres-

pondence expressed the conviction that the effect of

devoting the accumulated deposits to the assistance of

Hong Kong University would be bad.

In the course of the discussion emphasis was laid

on the importance of Sir Miles Lampson's proposal that the

best thing to work for would be a voluntary declaration by

the Chinese of their intention, inter alia, to give an

undertaking to place such orders as might arise, in regard

to railway construction, conservancy work, etc., in Great

Britain. The attention of the Cabinet was also called to the

fact that Belgium, Holland and Italy had surrendered their

balance on condition of its being used on constructive works

of