CO129-610-3 Rehabilitation of Hong Kong University 15-2-1949 - 7-2-1950 — Page 89

2.

84

3.

85

A

temporary eclipse of our

political prestige.

the mainland. It had enormous propaganda potential and for this and many other weighty

strongly

in favour of taking the financial risks involved in the proposals of the Committee.

reasons

reasms,

Who

suice then it was decided, for prudent'

to mark time and to restore the thruversity only to it's pre-war standard. And now though the prognostications of two years ago regarding Thina have been fulfilled, the uncertainty regarding trong Kong itself has been dissipated. Revertheless, the finaveral stran's involved in maintaining the statis

of the Unicarity of trong Kong has markedly and is likely to weigh more

more heavily the financial balance of the British Commonwealth of nations. How could the burden be cared? I see

only

way

for effective large scale. action and that is to extend on a basis of self. inforest and mutual help the ranks of pations. and financial supporters.

one practical

increased heavily than ever in

I have observed in the Press recent reports that the Communent régime is not only refusing haccept

official correspondence in English but is prohibiting the teaching of English in its schools and Universites and taking active steps to

supplant English by Russian. This is a development to be expected in Russian satellite regions, but is none the less alessing to our prospects.

One inmediate corollary would appear to be that the financial and cultural support" hitherts so generously

accorded to the principal Muniversities of Chica by the wester Would with speedily dry up and that non-Russian foreign Professors and Staffs will be driven out. The pro-Chinese sympathics of the teachers and missionaries

1

involved will however persist and they will seek the best way open to them to remain in touch with their Chinese sympathizers and with the enormous capital investments

and important mussions committed to their trust. They will have to make of their minds quickly, Americans British, French, Italians, Scandinavians and Portuguese, Protestants and Roman-Catholics, if they

loww w

to cont

I

are not h

suffer dispersal and see their work destroyed beyond

hope of recovery. As their nations are not likely to reinstate them by force or quile for some years suggest that it is most likely that their common self-interest will lead them to establish their forward bases for contact with China ith it's safest provimity.

Their choices would probably vary and their counsel's would inevitably be confused, but the more obvious rallying boses would seem to be Hong Kong or Japan. Japan might well be favoured, especially by Americans for political reasons. But, bearing in mund that their commitments and sympathies.

are with the

Chinese people, Hong Kong offers for greater attractions in proximity and in the fact that there they could continue to teach Chinese students and to be with Chinese. If left to themselves, without superior quidance or appeal, some of them would undoubtedly make for Hong Kong and endeavour to set ups independent institutions with whatever funds and apperates they might still command. Therely they would offer yet one more point of attack for embarrassing Communist pro- : paganda and prove an added weakness and not a reinforcement for us.

*

The most important elements concerned are un- doubtedly the British and Americans; the others are impredictable but would probally follow and Inglo-American lead. The Americans could prove an