CO129-527-18 University of Hong Kong- proposal to establish Department 28-5-1930 - 19-9-1930 — Page 10

Copy.

19th September, 1930.

9

My dear Lord Passfield,

I am deeply obliged for your letter of the 15th which

makes it perfectly clear that the project of establishing a

School of Law at Hongkong has your warmest approval.

Experienced people warn me that any hope of persuading

such conservative bodies as the Inns of Court to interest

themselves in the legal education of China is a fantastic

dream. I do not put it higher than a one per cent chance,

but I have always taken a one per cent chance when the object

in view seemed really important, and have sometimes succoeded.

I think, however, in this case it would at once be raised to

a ton per cent chance if you could persuade the Parliamentary

Under Secretary to come to the dinner and say in two words

what you have said in your letter that the project has your

warmest blessing. But if neither of the Parliamentary chiefs

of the Colonial Office can come I should very much welcome any

member of the staff, more especially if he was charged with a

message of approval from you as Secretary of State for the

Colonies. Apart from the holp which it would give me it

might bo an advantage if someone connected with the Colonial

Office wore prosent and able to see at first hand whether the

idea makes any progress. My case to these eminent lawyers is

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