CO129-608-3 Occupation reports- education in Stanley Internment Camp 7-11-1945 - 18-7-1947 — Page 29

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In reply to questions from Mr. Burney, Mr. Sloss said that Queen's College was destroyed during the Japanese attack and King's College was a complete wreck, having been used as a barracks by the Japanese and its very fine hall as a stable for mules; when the Japanese went out the Chinese poor came in and looted the woodwork for fuel. The Japanese had occupied the Sun Yat Sen University of Canton. They had recruited n Chinese staff and it was supposed to be functioning as a Chinese University, but nothing had happened. The buildings had suffered and the Japanese had carried off the scientific equipment. His enquiries since coming home had proved that the re-equipping of laboratories for Medicine and Engineering would be extraordinarily difficult and a slow process if equipment was to come from England and America. He had therefore suggested that a sub-committce should be. attached to the Reparation Committee to obtain books and equipment from Japan to replace what had been looted.

Miss Perham said that the attitude of the

authorities at Chungking referred to the period before' the war, and the asked what the attitude would be now. Mr. Sloss replied that the one thing his colleagues in China were insistent upon was that while British prestige after the loss of Malaya fell very low during the last year a very marked change was apparent. The Americans had overcalled their hand a little in their dealing with the Chinese, and there was definitely a more friendly feeling towards the British than in the earlier years of the war.

Professor Ifor Evans stated that the funda- mental difficulty was that of the cost of higher cducation in Hong Kong contrasted with that in China owing to the high cost of living. Mr. Sloss said that the cost of living after the war would be different. The disparity between Hong Kong and China would be less, but the problem still remained.

Mr. Paskin said that these questions of future policy had not been overlooked in the Colonial Office. Now that Mr. 3loss was in England they had the advantage of being able to consider the tasks ahead with his assist- ance. The immediate question was how bust to set about deciding the important issue of policy on the future of the University.

Sir Donald Cameron said that in employing engineers the Hong Kong Government had adopted the policy of importing expensive European subordinates from England. Did this mean that the value of the Hong Kong degree, was distrusted, or was it just through lack of vision? Mr.

Sloss said that it was lack of vision.

Mr.

Mayhew stated that by 1939 it had been recognised in Hong Kong that even if there was a justification for a

Hong Kon