CO129-524-2 Hong Kong University- financial position- Chinese studies- future of the Chinese school and the Annual... 27-1-1930 - 12-8-1930 — Page 46

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c'est tout pardonner."

I hope that I have said enough to show that the

University of Hong Kong is in earnest in the matter of

this proposed Chinese School, and that a great deal of

thought has been given to the matter. The University's

only chances of getting any considerable sum of money

is from the Boxer Indemnity, and this seems to be a matter in

which His Majesty's Government find it impossible to take

action. The most we apparently can possible hope from

the Boxer Indemnity is a capital sum of £250,000. This will

not enable us to put the University as it now is, on a

proper financial basis and at the same time to add to the

University's responsibilities by making a provision for

Chinese Studies. Therefore the receipt from some other

source of a capital sum sufficient to endow one if not two

Chinese Chairs would put the University in a much more

favourable position for undertaking the work with which this

note deals. I venture to think that the creation of a Chair

or Chairs of Chinese at Hong Kong would be a valuable

addition to the general facilities for linguistic study in

the British Empire, which it is I understand, the desire of

the Committee to improve.

Borneo is not far from China, and there must be many

thousands of Chinese in that country. The Chinese are the

commercialists of the Far East. Anyone who wants to do

business there should know something not only of the Chinese