CO129-610-3 Rehabilitation of Hong Kong University 15-2-1949 - 7-2-1950 — Page 23

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1. Mr.Kirkness has produced a good draft on a complicated subject with the history of which he was unfamiliar.

2. I have made only two changes of any importance. The first is that I have added the very definite view expressed by the Executive Committee of the Inter-University Council about the Tung Wah Hospital proposal. A separate communication at this stage could say no more and it seems as well to let the Governor see the whole extent of the difficulties in this one letter. Secondly, with Mr.Bourdillon's agreement, I have cut out the last sentence of the draft which suggests that it might eventually be necessary to consider whether some of the £500,000 reserved for urban development out of Hong Kong's C.D. & W. territorial allocation of £1,000,000, should not be used for the University. If Hong Kong can make out any case for C.D. & W. assistance for the University, then prima facie the source of finance is the higher education allocation, not another. We are hardly justified in suggesting at this stage (the higher education allocation is already heavily committed, but it is not entirely committed,) that Hong Kong's territorial allocation should bear this charge. I have had a clean draft prepared.

3. I have put an immediate slip on this as it is hoped to get off the letter to Sir Alexander Grantham (if Mr. Paskin approves it) in time for the papers to recirc. to Mr.Cox at latest by the 27th September with a short brief on the political impossibility of abandoning the University at present for him to speak to when he presses the importance of an I.U.C. visit to Hong Kong at the plenary quarterly meeting of the Council on the 29th September (vide. Mr.Kirkness' minute of 17/9).

4. No doubt, if the Council decide in principle that the visit should be paid, there will be exchanges of communications with Hong Kong as to its suitability at the present time etc. Before these begin it is most desirable that the Governor should know (as the draft letter makes clear) the importance to be attached to the visit.

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