CO129-567-12 Hong Kong University 24-1-1938 - 24-1-1938 — Page 215

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Whitehall, had announced that the consideration of the report was suspended pending the appointment and investigation of a further Committee the expenses of which - and they would be considerable - would have had to be met by the Court out of University funds, all the commercial representatives (certainly all the British representatives) would have resigned en bloc and the University would have been brought to a complete stand- still. And in this connection let me remind you that before he left Hong Kong Caldecott had said in public more than once that he had seen the report and was thoroughly satisfied with it. Smith, who was Chairman of the Committee, could scarcely say in his subsequent capacity of Acting Governor and Chancellor that he was dissatisfied with the report which he himself had written and that therefore decided to supplement it by a second investigation. Moreover, he was asked to do this without being allowed even to consult the other members of the Committee. You will notice that Northcott says nothing about the desir- ability of appointing a Committee of experts in England.

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Yours very sincerely,

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WW Homell