CO129-538-1 Hong Kong University 31-12-1931 - 6-8-1932 — Page 201

CO129 Colonial Office Hong Kong Records 理藩院香港檔案 All

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on the spot the practicability of the numerous proposals

which had been put forward for the utilisation of the money,

and to make general and specific recommendations.

Into the proceedings of the delegation, which

under the chairmanship of Lord Willingdon spent several months

in China during the spring and summer of 1926, it is needless

to enter, as they are fully described in the "Report of the

Advisory Committee" which, together with the Report of the

delegation, was published as a blue-book (China No.2, 1926)

and presented to Parliament at the end of that year. All that

is necessary for our present purpose is to state as briefly as

possible the main outlines of the recommendations made by the

delegation with regard to the application of the funds, the

proposed endowment scheme and the important question of I

administration and control.

The delegationrecommended (see the summary on

pp. 162-164 of the published Report) that a sum of £350,000

ber annum 65 should forthwith be allocated, in specified pro-

portions, to the main heads of agricultural education and im-

provement, scientific research, medicine and public health

and other educational purposes. They advised that arrangements be made to set aside a large sum of money (not exceeding

£5,200,000 and not less than £3,500,000) as an endowment fund

the money to be invested "in some constructive work in China

beneficial to the people; the proceeds from such investment

to be devoted to the purpose of carrying on in perpetuity, after

the complete amortisation of the China Indemnity in 1945, the

educational and other work which it is proposed to subsidise,

support or encourage." They advised that the work in question should befreilway construction preferably the completion of

the Hankow-Canton line; but they added that in their opinion no railway or other scheme should be definitely adopted until it had been favourably reported upon by impartial experts as feasible, as a reasonably safe investment for trust funds, and as likely to produce a steady and adequate return on the capital invested. If the "impartial experts" gave unfavourable reports,

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