CO129-558-10 Hong Kong University- engineering faculty 3-1-1936 - 11-2-1936 — Page 21

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do not encourage him to come to this country, he will go to

some other, so Holt's and we among others have rather turned

our attention to helping Chinese to come to this country and,

when here, to find useful training and proper social treatment.

"The best thing started in Hong Kong recently has been a

junior technical school, for which we are indebted to the pres-

ent Governor's support and at which promising lads doing their

apprenticeship at works like for instance our Yard can get fur-

ther technical training and so enabled to get on in the world""

(quoted to Strickland).

As to Strickland's proposals. My impression is that the

fault probably lies more with the Academic Staff than with the

graduates. During the Coolie Strike the medical students came

forward to do the menial work of the University, and even to

handle the corpses, a task they especially disliked by Chinese.

I have somewhere heard that there is foundation for this natur-

al surmise, but that the terms of engagement of the present

head of the Engineering Department are an obstacle to his re-

placement. This should, if true, be overcome at any cost. I

am confident that this reluctance to 'dirty their hands' must

arise from the tone set from above.

In my opinion it should only be in the last resort that

graduates should be sent to Shanghai. The opportunity afforded

by Hong Kong, both in the Naval and in Butterfield & Swire's

and Holts' yards cannot be rivalled, and the students would