CO129-610-2 Rehabilitation of Hong Kong University 9-1-1948 - 18-1-1949 — Page 98

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Sanctuary Buildings,

Great Smith Street,

S.W.1.

August, 1948.

12 166 jug

You will recall that two years ago we presented to the Secretary of State for the Colonies our Report on the University of Hong Kong. There is now a proposal to publish the Report, omitting certain passages, and it is about this that I am writing to you. It is so long since we signed the Repo that I am Lure you would like me first to say shortly what has happened since the Report was presented.

As you probably know, after long negotiations, the position had finally to be accepted that, in view of the straitened circumstances in which His Majesty's Government itself was placed, direct financial assistance to the University was not at present possible and our main recommendations for the rehabilitation of the University on an extended basis had therefore to be deferred. In January of this year, in the light of this decision, the Hong Kong Government put forward proposals for financing the restoration of the University

its pre-war standard from local loan funds, and the se were agreed to by the Secretary of State.

It was at this stage that publication of our Report was first considered, and the view expressed

Iddressees as on

dft.

IR H. BABON, G.B., C.M.G., H.2.

/that

–Meões P+R.6.&