CO129-561-7 Hong Kong University 4-1-1937 - 22-9-1937 — Page 11

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primarily due (as explained in that enclosure) to

the financial demand made by the University upon

the Colonial Government - $350,000 a year. It was

clearly contemplated by the Governor that a report

of such a local Committee should not necessarily be

the final word, but that it should be a preliminary

to a consideration of the desirability of obtaining

outside opinion, expert on the subject of University

organisation.

I think it will be agreed

(1) that Professor Davis and Mr. France have

given the Secretary of State, through Mr. Pickthorn,

of the an unduly discouraging an impression report;

(2) that the procedure which is being followed

in Hong Kong is a proper one and, as stated in the

Answer No. 2 on the P. G. file, the right thing to do

is to wait for the full results of the local

consideration of the report by the Government and

the University authorities before any conclusions

are reached here.

As regards the proposal for the two

Professors to appear before the Advisory Committee

in the Colonial Office and to state their case, it

would in any case be premature,, I suggest, at present to make any amanyent about

wonhan hate this (which might be rather an unusual

procedure, though not necessarily a wrong one on that account). Probably any difficulties could be

avoided by an arrangement for these two to meet

two