CO129-576-5 Hong Kong University 13-6-1939 - 23-11-1939 — Page 79

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Mr. Mayhew asked whether the British Council

had ever touched the Far East. Mr. Sloss instanced

one case in which their activities had extended to

Japan, but thought that they concentrated perhaps too

much on the Balkans and on the Near East. Mr. Howe

agreed that as far as propaganda was concerned the

Far East was virgin territory. Mr. Gent remarked

that the British Council already had a great deal on

their hands, and that the funds at their disposal this

year only amounted to £250,000. Moreover the British

Council would be unlikely to consider the scheme unless

it had the support of the Colonial Office, the Foreign

Office and the Treasury, a view which Dr. Sloss was

able to confirm from recent conversations.

Sir Henry Moore thought that the support

of the Foreign Office would be required before a

favourable attitude could be expected from the Treasury.

Mr. Howe expressed the view that Lord Halifax would.

probably be keen to support the present scheme, since

it would serve to demonstrate that the recent Tokyo

conversations have by no means precluded the

possibility of further help being afforded to China.

Mr. Gent pointed out, however, that what is envisaged

is a permanent installation involving heavy recurrent

expenditure. It would therefore be necessary to make

sure that the Foreign Office support was not

forthcoming merely for reasons of immediate political

expediency: such a long-range scheme could not afford

to be justified only as a temporary measure in relation

to present Japanese activities in China.

Furthermore

at

5.