CO129-531-10 Hong Kong University- encouragement of Chinese students to counteract American influence 30-5-1931 - 1-9-1931 — Page 45

(a)

(b)

(c)

Note en Hong Kong University.

22.7.31

The Secretary of State as the Committee -

48

To "suggest any special line of inquiry that the University

should be advised to purm

For "guidance or information regarding the possibility and

desirability of attracting Chinese students from Hong Kong

to British Universities and workshopa."

"Regarding steps that might generally be taken at home for

bringing the intellectual life of Great Britain and China

(Hongkong) into closer contact*,

Twenty years ago as Governor of Hong Kong I was deeply

impressed with the immense effect which was being produced in China

by the returned Chinese graduates from America,

(1)

Folitically, Imbued with ultra-democratic theories of a

Western type they inculcated the Chinese youth in the

Collages with revoluntionary ideas, and in my view wore in

the main cause of the Revolution and 20 years of subsequent

Civil #ar.

(2)

Sconomically,

Graduates from American Universities with

engineering degrees were eagerly sought after for the

Railways and every other kind of Public Works which at that

time were being feverishly pushed forward, These young ren

were familiar only with American methods and used only

American standards and designs. Naturally, therefore, ald

orders were placed with American firms of which they had

confident knowledge.

America: encouraged Chinese students to go to American Universities.

They were made much of there. The Boxer Indemnity was remitted and

used for this purpose.

The British feeling was the rev eree. Not only were Chinese discourage

from going to England, but there was (and still is to some extent,