CO129-593-6 Rehabilitation of Hong Kong University. For extracted photographs see CN 3-45- Advisory Committee papers 1-1-1939 - 31-12-1946 — Page 160

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Hong Kong University Advisory Committee

Confidential

No.HKUAC 1.

Letter dated 9th November 1939 from the Secretary of State for the Coloniee to the Governor of Hong Kong

9 November, 1939.

Dear Northcote,

An official despatch will reach you by this mail about the recommendations of the Hong Kong University Committee, but I want to supplement it by this personal explanation. Following upon your despatch No.425 of the 13th of June and your personal letters and the discussions here with Sloss, we made it clear to the Treasury and the Foreign Office that we were strongly impressed by the case for pressing on with the policy which you and sloss were advocating. We attach the highest importance to the development of the University as an institution to serve the needs of students from China and so to promote British relations of a genuine cultural nature with that country. The response from the Foreign Office was most satisfactory; Lord Halifax expressed himself as in entire sympathy with my views on the subject, and he was of the opinion that the University was a valuable instrument for propagating British ideals and spreading British influence in China, and that it should be given all the support and assistance possible in increasing its usefulness in those respects. Personally, I have little doubt that I should have had a similarly favourable response from the Treasury, but unfortunately the war broke out to intercept it, and I fear that I must now acquiesce in their view that in so far as the question of financial assistance from the Home Exchequer is concerned, we must let it stand over for the present.

Nevertheless, I am most anxious that you should go ahead confidently and thoroughly with all the preliminary investigations ́ necessary to prepare the concrete and detailed schemca which have been contemplated. It is I know a difficult time not only for the Treasury, but also for those who want to obtain funds from Colonial revenues or from private local benefactions; but I hope and believe that it will be practicable not only to prepare the plans for the development of the University on the lines desired, aut also to obtain some initial funds sufficient to make a modest start with the new equipment which is needed. loss took pains to impresa upon us that the assurance of His Majesty's Government's recognition of the value of the University to sino-British relationa and their support of the case for the University's development would be a help in securing material contributions from local sources, and I, therefore, want you to know that you may rely on our gemiine support and sympathy in the progress which I hope you and Sloss will be able to make in spite of the difficulties of the present time.

Yours sincerely,

(Signed) Malcolm MacDonald.

Sir Geoffry Northcote, K.C.M.G.

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