CO129-610-1 Rehabilitation of Hong Kong University 3-1-1947 - 29-12-1947 — Page 136

This is, if anything, heightened by the fact that we have felt obliged to withhold publication of the Advisory Committee's

report until we can announce a decision on its recommenda-

tions, since we felt, and were so advised by both

Sir Mark Young and the Vice-Chancellor of the University, that to give publicity to certain of the Committee's recommendations before we could announce our decision on them

would give rise to apprehensions as to the continued existence of the University as such, with obvious political

It is, however, now exactly six months

repercussions.

Our

134

(see No.9A)

since Mr. Creech Jones announced in the House that the

recommendations of this Committee were being examined in consultation with the various Departments concerned. delay in announcing a decision is giving rise to criticism, both locally and in this country, which is bound to increase as time goes on. As an example of criticism in this country, we recently had a formal letter from the Inter-University Council for Higher Education in the Colonies recording grave concern at the long delay and expressing the view that the absence of a decision was causing considerable

in the Commons was a further harm to the University. There is also a question down Por

251

answer in the House on June 26th, about the progress being

made in the re-establishment of the University, to which of

could

course we can give only a temporising reply.

6. We realise that the magnitude of our proposals is such that they must receive most careful and detailed

delay, havent Though we are concerned about the unavoidable, examination.

delay that there has already been, Iant formake streicar bhab it is not intended to imply that it is in any way due to the Treasury, who did not receive our proposals until the 12th April and whose promptness in dealing with the matter then we appreciated. e would, however, be seriously perturbed by the prospect of much further delay in coming

to a decision, and this we fear would be the inevitable result of having to wait for a decision until we had a comprehensive picture of our Far Eastern liabilities as a whole.

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