CO129-576-5 Hong Kong University 13-6-1939 - 23-11-1939 — Page 80

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meaning?

at the present stage all that the Governor had asked

for was the general approval of the Secretary of

State for these proposals: the Senate had not yet

formulated its decision, and the Finance Committee had

probably not yet said its last word. Would it then

be possible at this stage to regard the scheme as final,

or was there any possibility of important modifications

being introduced as the result of local deliberations?

Mør. Sloss replied that the scheme as formulated at

present could be regarded as final. It would

therefore be possible to approach the Foreign Office

and the Treasury before the Secretary of State replies

to the Governor.

Sir Henry Moore remarked that the essential

thing was to decide whether the present is the

psychological moment for the implementation of the

Committee's proposals. Mr. Sloss said he realised

that the present was regarded as a singularly

inopportune moment in England, but that in the East it

was regarded as exactly the right time. Sir Henry Moore

asked Mr. Howe whether the Foreign Office regarded the

present time as being sufficiently favourable for them

to lend their support to the scheme, and Mr. Howe

replied that he thought they did. Sir Henry Moore

repeated that strong Foreign Office support would be:

required to influence the Treasury.

Mr. Mayhew suggested that in time Imperial

M subventions might be reduced, but Dr. Sloss thought

that such a time would be a long way off. Mr. Mayhew

then suggested that perhaps any eventual Treasury

6.

contributions

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