CO129-593-3 Rehabilitation of Hong Kong University. For extracted photographs see CN 3-45 12-1-1946 - 27-10-1946 — Page 48

HONG KONG UNIVERSITY

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1. arly in 1939 the Governor of longong set up a Committee to report on the steps which should be taken to enable the University to fulfil the purposes of its foundation. This Committee considered that the University had largely railed in one of its main objects, namely that of providing a Univeraity education of British inspiration for students from Uhins, and that although there were other contributory causes the main reason for this was the paucity of the University's incose. On the Governor's recomendation ir. D.J. Uloss, the Vice- Chancellor, cane to this country in the summer of 1939 to urge upon His Majesty's Goverment the desirability of assisting the developraont of the University on this broader basis.

2. After a careful consideration of the whole question, auxi with the full agreement of the Foreign Office, conveyed in a Foreign office letter dated 25th August, 1939 (reference 7.8645/3446/10), the Georetary of State for the Colonies of the time told the Governor of Hong Kong in an official despatch that liis sujesty's Jovernment were fully aware of the importance of the task which the University of Hong Kong performed in catering for the needs of students from China and thus serving in an important degree British relations with that country, and that the Comitice's recommendations for increasing the usefulness of the University in this respect ha: accordingly aroused His majesty's uovermout's keen interest and sympathy. The despatch went on to say that the fuoretary of state, for his part, appreciated the importance of maintaining the original sins of the University which were emphasised in the Cassitteo's report, and he placed oa record his firm belief that the institution could be developed to serve the beat interests ino-ritisi: relations in the future and should receive all the mosistance sul support possible in order to do so. This despatch issued after the outbreak of war, and it was unfort nately found necessary to take the line in it that, whilst the Goverment realised that the maintenango of the University's sim and its development fo the purpose of moeting modern couditions in China would not be possible without a full measure of local support and substantial financial assistance from outside the Colony to supplement the grant from the Golonial Government and the University's other sources of inaone, the outbreak of war had rendered it impracticable for His Majesty's uovernment to pursue at that time the question of any rinacial grant from public funds in this country, qld that this question must therefore remain for reconsideration when circunstundes were more 'avourable. The Foreign office, in a letter dated tho 25th August, 1959, on the subject of the value of the University, expressed the view that "the Jnivorsity was a valuable instrument for propagating üritish ideals and spreading British influence in China, and that it should bə given all the support and assistance possible in increasing its usefulness in this respect."

3. sarly in 1945, it was folt that preparations should be made to reconstitute some at any rate of the pre-var activitie of the University on the liberation of the Colony. io this end a small Advisory Comittee was proposed to undertake detailed planning and the engagement of staff. before the

Ümmittee