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 29

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16. Sir George Moss enquired if an appeal might not be made to the

Dominions Governments in the event of His Majesty's Government

giving an adverse decision.

17. Mr. Cox thought that the Committee, in their report, should

mention the point in the alternative recommendations they would make

if the larger scheme failed.

18. Sir Herbert Eason thought that the University of Hong Kong

should be revived as a first class institution or not at all.

As to the Committee's report he felt that there would be little

prospect of obtaining Treasury support if a alternative smaller and

less expensive scheme were put forward and he thought it would be for

the Hong Kong Government to raise the question of the continued

existence of the University in those circumstances.

19.

Sir Mark Young agreed that from the point of view of the

Committee the right course was to appeal to His Majesty's Goverment

for financial aid for the larger scheme and that an alternative and

cheaper scheme should not be offered. He repeated, however, that

he thought it would be disastrous to wind up the University and

that the loss to British prestige would be immense.

20. Sir Humphrey Prideaux-Brune added that in his view close

intercourse with China in educational matters would be hazardous

unless the University in Hong Kong were such as to regain the respect

of the Chinese.

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21. The project of deputing Members of the Committee to go to

Confermine China for the purpose of ascertaining how far the Chinese would

welcome a reconstituted University of Hong Kong was discussed

briefly, but it was generally thought that the best time for such a

visit providing it had the approval of the Foreign Office, would be other the Committee's report had been considered by His Majesty's Government.

22. Mr. Cox then referred to two of the causes of the failure of

the University in the past which the Committee had not hitherto

studied. One concerned the difficulty of language and the other

the higher cost of living in Hong Kong.

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