CO129-512-5 Boxer Indemnity Settlement 21-5-1929 - 21-5-1929 — Page 121

MEMORANDUM.

117

A summary of the policy of His Majesty's

Government towards the Boxer Indemnity in recent

years will be found in paragraph 3 of the Foreign

Office memorandum (No.25 on 52708//28). That

memorandum proposed a new policy, that is, the

unconditional return to China of the accumulated

balances and unpaid instalments of the Boxer

Indemnity. Mr. Amery replied with a memorandum

to the Cabinet (No.26 on 52708) urging, as the

Colonial Office had done repeatedly in the last few

years, the claims of Hong Kong University to a

substantial share of the Boxer Indemnity funds.

A memorandum was also submitted by the Treasury

and a counter memorandum by the Foreign Office

(Nos.30 and 37 on 52708). After consider ing all

these views the Cabinet reached the conclusion

recorded in No.38 on 52708 approving generally the

proposals of the Foreign Office with, however, a

recommendation that an attempt should be made to

secure something for Hong Kong University. It was

suggested by the Foreign Office that this something

should be fixed at £200,000 (see 2 of this file).

We consulted Sir C. Clementi who naturally suggested

a larger allocation and we passed on his suggestion

with a somewhat qualified support to the Foreign Office

(Nos.8, 12 and 13). They eventually agreed to the

allocation being increased to £250,000. The Chinese

agreed to this when the matter was broached to them

rather more readily than we expected and even

suggested