CO129-594-3 Rehabilitation of Hong Kong University. For extracted photographs see CN 3-45- Advisory Committee- minutes of... 18-1-1946 - 9-4-1946 — Page 260

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great trading centre of the Far East; and whatever

In he vuenc

happened in Hong Kong, the Chinese were not going to

the

oppose seriously any retention of Hong Kong

But our

attitude would have to be revised ☛bit in consonance

with the times. He thought it was fair to ask, and

for

the time was ripe to try to get, assu rances from those

outlying n ions that they would support the idea of

in Hong Kong

university and not boycott the alumni of it, and the

thought that sepuld be done. It was a task for

diplomacy. We had a good hand to play. There would

not be much financial support forthcoming from the

Hong Kong public because the best thing for the British

Empire would he that Hong Kong should be on its feet

quickly and that the merchants should flourish again

and their resources and energies be fully occupied in

their own ffairs. Some of the Chinese might be

disposed induced to show that they were pleased with

the turn of events by making contributions, but one

could not count on adequate and large sums. It would

not be fair to ask, and if\Hong Kong was to provide

seat of learning to diffuse \British standards and

thought it should be in the widest possible way, and

Sir George thought that if we had an American chair it

would help. He believed a great deal of the attack

on the British position was traceable to the

Philippines. He had been told so by Chinese friends.

There was no university in the Philippines.

If we

could get started soon we might draw off to Hong Kong

a great effort that might otherwise be diverted

somewhere else.

Professor Hinton said there were two

universities in the Philippines.

Dr. Channon said that Mr. Sloss had ma

what could be a very important statement when he said

that the University of Hong Kong had in effect become

10.

university

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