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able that both Government and non-Government students should be in touch with someone in England, not necessarily a European, who would understand their diffi- culties. The parents themselves would appreciate this if the matter were put before them. Sir George Maxwell also stressed the harm that was done by students returning to their own country after they had lived here with no guidance or help.
He felt that Mr. Ezechiel, representing the official channel of communication, could not possibly have time or opportunity to establish, or maintain, personal relations with the students; some one should be appointed to serve under him who would be able to do this. A great deal of consideration was necessary, and it might be advisable to appoint a sub-committee.
MR. EZECHIEL, in reply to a question on this subject, said that he could not under- take substantially more work on behalf of the Colonial students than he was now undertaking without additional staff.
A sub-committee was then appointed consisting of :—
Sir George Maxwell (Chairman),
Mr. Oldham,
Major Church,
Mr. Mayhew,
Mr. Vischer.
The terms of reference were as follows:-
To consider what steps can best be taken to ensure the proper supervision, educational, moral, and financial, of Colonial, &c., students who come to the United Kingdom, having special regard to the limited funds available for any such organization.
The Sub-Committee was given power to co-opt other members if necessary, and to ask any particular member to attend certain of the sub-committee meetings. Mr. Ezechiel was also asked to give assistance.
6.
Hong Kong. Cultural Relations between England and Hong Kong. The Report of the British Economic Mission to the Far East 1930-31 and a note on the Report (A.C.E.C. 16/31) had been circulated to members.
At the request of the Chairman, Professor Forster made a statement which is recorded in full as an Annex.
THE CHAIRMAN thanked Professor Forster for the information he had given to the Committee and asked to what extent American influence was felt in Hong Kong University. PROFESSOR FORSTER said in reply that American influence was not felt in the University, though it was indebted to America for three Chairs in medicine.
SIR JAMES CURRIE said that he had received many letters from the Textile Com- mittee bearing out what Professor Forster had said. A number of Chinese who had gone to the United States were becoming interested in what the Soviet Government was doing with regard to research work.
In reply to a question from Sir James Currie, PROFESSOR FORSTER said that there was a good engineering course at the University and an additional hundred students could be accepted for this course.
MR. ELLIS said that the University had been starved in the past and Hong Kong was not big enough to support a University by itself.
LORD LUGARD explained that he was ready to prepare a memorandum on Hong Kong University which could be submitted to the Committee. He informed the Com- mittee that £265,000 had been given to Hong Kong University. A Medical Chair was first founded and then an Engineering Chair. He was very anxious that a Chair should be established for the study of Chinese.
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SIR GEORGE MAXWELL said that a Committee appointed in connexion with the "Boxer Fund was leaving England in October to visit the Chinese Universities, and to discuss, amongst other things, the possibility of an exchange of professors between the British and Chinese Universities.
LORD LUGARD explained that at the time of the establishment of the University, very cordial relations existed between Great Britain and China.
THE CHAIRMAN asked Lord Lugard to prepare and send in his memorandum so that it could be circulated for discussion at the October meeting of the Committee. He then asked the members to put forward names of experts who could be invited to the October meeting to assist in the discussion.
The following names were suggested:
(1) Professor Soothill, Oxford University.
(2) The Secretary of the United Committee for Christian Universities of China.
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(3) A representative of the Council of Overseas Trade. (4) Professor Ilinton.
(5) Mr. Silcock.
7. Kenya.-Education Ordinance, 1931 (A.C.E.C. 14/31), and
8. Somaliland.-Report on Native Education (A.C.E.C. 15/31).
These were circulated for information.
9. The next meeting of the Committee was fixed for Thursday, 1st October.
ANNEX.
STATEMENT BY PROFESSOR FORSTER REGARDING CULTURAL RELATIONS BETWEEN ENGLAND AND HONG KONG.
I ASSUME that whatever action follows the consideration of the Report of the British Economic Mission to the Far East, that the University of Hong Kong will play
a very important part in the effort to bring about stronger cultural relations with China. For that reason I shall speak chiefly from the point of view of the University. The University has not so far achieved its purpose which was to educate primarily for China, not for Hong Kong or the Straits.
Links with China are not sufficiently strong-Sir Chas. Eliot attempted to secure this object. He induced the Pekin Government to establish scholarships to the Univer- sity of Hong Kong. Twenty were drawn from various provinces, trained as teachers at the University and all returned to China.
This happy experiment, which was very successful in the most important direction, was not continued for the University could not recover the fees.
Free scholarships were offered by the University to various centres in China. These covered tuition and board during the session, but again they had to be dis- continued because of the trouble from 1925 onwards.
A President of China scholarship fell into abeyance, too, for similar reasons. It is desirable that such contacts should be re-established and that the University should fulfil its original intention by creating such a flow of students as will carry the British tradition back on to the mainland.
The appointments of the Vice-Chancellor, Sir Wm. Hornell, to a position on the Board of Trustees, which administers the Boxer Funds, affords an excellent oppor- tunity for restoring those contacts at Nanking, and there should follow beneficial results from this appointment.
The country of China is greatly in need of trained teachers in the first case, and it is for training them that the most scholarships should be offered. They, too, are a most effective means of diffusing British ideals.
Britain has great leeway to make up in China in the race for cultural supremacy. One person long resident in China, a person of ripe educational experience, assured me that educational policy in China was for all practical purposes controlled and directed from Columbia University, United States of America. My own experi: ence, in visits to all important centres in China, north, south, and inland confirms that view.
The United States of America has established herself in the higher fields, and it is the product of higher education who commands universal respect throughout China. The place of the Hanlin scholar in the esteem of the people is, to-day, taken by the University graduate.
It is he who wields by far the greatest influence.
Young China turns to America, and America to young China, because there is between them a similarity of purpose-a revolt against the old tradition.
In America the young Chinese student is confirmed in his opinion that salvation is to be found in defying old customs, and old faiths, in overturning or at least in overhauling the political and economic order. He comes back therefore with strong convictions and no doubts, and his zeal for reform is consequently hotter than it would be were he trained elsewhere.
China finds her economic model naturally in the United States of America, because the latter country has mastered the methods of producing greater wealth than other nations, and China the poorest country in the world wishes to be like America which is the richest.
This sedulous aping of America is a phase which is due to pass away, for it is producing more than economic effects. It is lowering the cultural tone of China.
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