CO129-531-11 Hong Kong University- general and financial points 14-9-1931 - 8-11-1931 — Page 18

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Copy of Memorandum submitted by Lord Lugard to the Universities China

Committee on

HONGKONG UNIVERSITY.

Origin and Aims. 1.

5.5

Twenty years ago as Governor of Hongkong I was deeply

impressed with the immense effect which was being produced

in China by the returned Chinese graduates from America.

1). Politically. Imbued with ultra-democratic theories

of a Western type they inculcated the Chinese youth in the

Colleges with revolutionary ideas, and in my view were the

main cause of the Revolution and 20 years of subsequent

Civil War.

2). Economically.

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 men were familiar only with American methods and used only

American standards and designs.

orders were placed with American firms of which they had confident knowledge.

Naturally, therefore, all

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 reverse. Not only were

Chinese discouraged from going to England, but there was (and still is to some extent, I am told), a definite feel-

ing against the higher education of Chinese, due largely to a fear that they would supplant British.

So disastrous did this state of things appear to me

alike as regards British influence for good in China, and

from the point of view of our trade, that I took up the

project of a University, though the majority of British

opinion was opposed to it. Its salient characteristics

were:- It was residential; English was the medium of in- struction; Chinese from China and elsewhere were welcomed; it was affiliated to Oxford and Cambridge and students were discouraged from going to England until they had graduated