CO129-531-11 Hong Kong University- general and financial points 14-9-1931 - 8-11-1931 — Page 7

82747

Nanking,

China,

167

November 8th, 1931.

<

Sir,

5902

I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt

of your letter No. 82747/31 of the 1st September, which I found awaiting me on my arrival at Peiping a short time ago.

2. I shall be happy to act in accordance

with the request of the Secretary of State that I should visit Hong Kong with a view to discussing the points raised by the

British Economic Mission regarding cultural relations with China

I have informed Sir William Hornell, Vice-Chancellor of the

University, that I expect to be in Hong Kong on the 25th inst. Unless the China Universities Committee expresses a desire that I should remain longer in China, I propose to leave Hong Kong by the P.&0. ss "Rajputana" on December 5th, and should reach

England on or about January 8th.

3. Perhaps I may take this opportunity of stating that I have received from Sir William Hornell a copy

of his minute of 22nd August last on the subject of the matters discussed in Chapter VIII of the Economic Mission's Report, and I have no hesitation in expressing my general agreement with his views, especially in respect of his criticism of the

recent Boxer Indemnity Agreement. I have attended meetings

of the Standing Committee of the Board of Trustees created

under that Agreement, and I have discussed the matter with

many other persons, Chinese and British, who are interested

in the general subject of Anglo-Chinese cultural relations, and I regret to say that the fears expressed in a letter which

I addressed to the Master of Balliol (Chairman of the Universi-

ties China Committee) on July 6th last, with regard to the