CO129-593-2 Rehabilitation of Hong Kong University. For extracted photographs see CN 3-45. Includes 32 photographs depicting-... 10-1-1945 - 20-1-1946 — Page 189

Downing Street,

London, 9.#.1.2

30 May, 1945.

1.3 18A.

185

Dbt 12955/7/44

Dear Dr, Needham,

You were kind enough to call and see me just before Christmas when we had a chat shout the future of Hong Kong University and I promised to let you have a note of the understanding which had been reached in 1939 between Fr. 8loos, the Vice-Chanceller and the Chinese authorities8.

Early in 1930 the Governor set up a Committee to consider the development of the University. enclose a copy of Chapter IV of the Committee's Report dealing with the question of the University' a relations with Chinese Universities). The view of the Committee and of the Governor was, that a niversity in so small a Colony as Hong Kong was only justified if it reverted to the purpose for which it vag originally founded, namely the provision of a University education of British insiration for students from China. In order to attract such stud- ents the University must be brought within their means, it must be more amply staffed and equiped than it had been hitherto; and finally, a necesary con- dition was the co-operation of the Chinese muthori€fes both officiel and academic. You will see from the enclosed copies of two letters from General Chieng Kai-Shek to the Governor, dated the 10th of Vazoh, 1939 and the 7th of May, 1939, respectively and a copy of a note of points put forward by Mr. Sloss at a meeting which won held in the Colonial Office in July of that year, that at that time the Committee's views had the sumport of the Chinese Government who looked to Hong Kong University to train the men that they foresaw would be needed in Chins in the work of reconstruction.

DR. JOSEPH REDHAK.

Ar.J.J.

loss,