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The final meeting of the Committee will therefore be held (weather permitting) in the roofless Great Hall of the University on Friday, 22nd March. It will be the nearest approach to a congregation of the University that circumstances will allow.
Gordon King as Dean of the Medical Faculty will "present" the candidates and the Committee (through my month) will confer the degrees and each candidate will receive a Diploma and then the Commander in Chief (who would love to wear the Chancellor's robes but cannot lawfully do so) will shake hands with each graduate. Degrees will then be conferred in absentia and the C. in C. will topp off the proceedings with the equivalent of the Chancellor's speech.
There will probably be 200-250 people present (and the Committee, poor mutts, are standing them tea).
I worked out a ceremonial as near as we can get to that of a "congregation" and we reckon it will be some what of a
historic occasion.
The Diploma, which I drafted, recites the Order in Council and I think it will be a thing of which a graduate will have cause to be proud.
I will cable the names of the graduates when the degrees have been conferred using "stop" between each name. I will put in this letter a list of the twenty certainties and add the other successful candidates if I get them in time. I fear for the mess "Cables and Wireless" might make of a list of Chinese names.
The Diplomas for those in England had better be sent to you by air by safe hand.
I do most sincerely hope that the view as to the re-opening of the University will be reconsidered.
The moral and political importance of re-opening it at the earliest possible moment could not be too strongly stressed. I am sending a copy of your letter to Dr. Gordon King as I presume you would wish him to have, in confidence, the information you have given me.
Mails have of late gone completely haywire as you will see
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