Sir Alexander Grantham's Autobiography 1965 Via Ports
TS
I declined the honour. I have
pulling my leg or not.
had no experience in running a us and semi-religious organiza- parts of the world. We decided o get one of these to take it on. o so, and a great success they trouble they had in finding a lace would be out in the New s of population. The District Mission scoured the Territories, rs said that the villagers would as at his wits' end. Reluctantly etween Hong Kong and Lantau. on this small island would be ong Kong has practically no ings were made on the streams here was enough water, and so d on Hayling Chau, 'Island of he forward, including the Royal that supports the mission has disease is, and how its victims inmates of a leprosarium to be contrary, the atmosphere of epers were cheerful, which re-
UCATIONAL EXPANSION
everal hundred, were another China, were not recognized in ot prevent the government from om engaging in private practice. actitioners, it seemed ridiculous hese men. To enable them to red an amendment to the law. , however, strongly opposed. g and elsewhere, I have noticed haster at restrictive practices. In ng to be said on their side; for medical colleges in China was ch argument, a simple form of
COMMUNIST CHINA
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examination was devised with the assistance of the appropriate medical authority in the United Kingdom, to separate the sheep from the goats, and the former were allowed to practise. These Chinese- degree doctors could always have taken the ordinary examination in Hong Kong, but for men past their first youth, the task was beyond the capabilities of most of them, especially if their knowledge of English was limited.
In the realm of education, the advent of a communist régime in China raised the question of post-secondary and university education in Hong Kong for those Chinese students whose knowledge of English was insufficient for the University of Hong Kong, where English was the medium of instruction. In pre-communist days these students went to colleges in China. Few now wanted to do so, nor did they wish to go to Formosa. 'To meet their demand, a number of private post-secondary colleges with Chinese as the medium of instruction set themselves up. They were of varying quality, but ole and all were anxious to be allowed to use the magic name 4 ‘uni- versity', and to have the right to grant university degrees. The University of Hong Kong was jealous of its right as the sole degec- granting authority. On the other hand, the need for university standard-and recognized as such-education in the Chinese language was real. A danger was that communist funds would be forthcoming to set up a rival university to the University of Hong Kong. Starting off with the report of a loca! committee under the chairmanship of John Keswick (head of the old established China trading firm of Jardine, Matheson & Co.), the matter was argued backwards and forwards at great length. Final agreement, between the University, the post-secondary colieges and the government had not been reached at the time I left. Since then it has been, with the help of the Colonial Office educational advisers, university authorities in the United Kingdom and co-operation all round.
C.N.A.C., 'YUNG HAO', AND OTHER INCIDENTS
At intervals the Chinese government conjured up imaginary grievances against Hong Kong, but in the case of the C.N.A.C. and C.A.T.C. aircraft, I think they had grounds for complaint. The China National Aviation Corporation was the B.O.A.C. of China. The Central Air Transport Corporation was also a Chinese concern. Both corporations had substantial American holdings and some of the top management was American. About seventy planes were involved. When the communists overran China, these aircraft came
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