2.
longer term costs of housing the Archive and would in the shorter term fund temporary Visiting Fellowships in Oxford from Hong Kong and Macau, for scholars working on the history of the colonies, or for Oxford academics who wish to research in Hong Kong and Macau. Such Visiting Fellowships would, through research seminars they would offer abroad, contribute further to the institutional benefits.
A month or two back we heard from Dr Ho that another project, a Professorship of South East Asian Studies which we have been discussing with him, is not something which he wishes to take further, at least at present. The reason he gave was that he felt that he ought to be spending his money locally. We were left to infer that the same reason would lead him to abandon any intention of supporting the Hong Kong Archive project here. More recently, however, we have heard that Mr Edward Heath has been having talks in Hong Kong and has formed the impression that Dr Ho might now be willing to reconsider his stance if it became clear that Her Majesty's Government and the Governor General thought it desirable that he should support the Archive project here. If this re-thinking could extend to the Chair also, so much the better. It would be regrettable if we could not by this means encourage research and teaching in Oxford on the increasingly important world markets of the area, among which Hong Kong and Macau will continue to play a major and significant role.
I attach the April Report from the Archives Project which will give you a clearer idea of the impressive range and progress of the pilot scheme. I also attach a more detailed note of the funding required.
you sing,
Partiul Neill
The Rt. Hon. Sir Geoffrey Howe, Q.C., M.P.,
Secretary of State,
Foreign and Commonwealth Office,
Downing Street,
London SW1A 2AL
The Hong Kong Project: A Progress Report
Since November 1986 when the Hong Kong Project officially began, considerable progress has been made. The project has two aspects, the collection of oral and written records of historical interest and the promotion of study and research on Hong Kong.
Archival Work
In the oral history side of our work, a total of twenty- three contributors, mostly retired civil servants of Hong Kong now living in Britain have already interviewed on tapes (on a confidential basis). They include two former Governors, all but one surviving Colonial/Chief Secretaries, heads of various government departments (including heads of the Finance Branch, the Commerce and Industry Department, the Education Department, the Public Works Department, the Police, the Commission Against Corruption, the Defence Branch, the Civil Service Branch, the Political Adviser's Department, the Housing Department, and the Medical and Health Department), an unofficial member of the Legislative Council, and a Vice Chancellor of the University of Hong Kong. The only other surviving retired Governor, the Lord MacLehose, has also agreed in principle to be interviewed. Another contributor, Sir John Cowperwaite, who refused to have his reminiscence recorded on tapes, has, however, undertaken to answer specific questions in writing.
As far as written archives are concerned, our greatest achievement is the obtaining of the invaluable papers of the late Sir Cecil Clementi (Governor, 1925-30). I have also secured the private papers of Sir Robert Black, Sir Donald Luddington, Brigadier David MacDougall, Mr John Griffiths, and Mr Paul Tsui. A proper list of the Clementi Papers will soon be completed.
As a result of my private visit to Hong Kong last summer, we have now reached agreements in principle with the Hong Kong Public Records Office and the University of Hong Kong for the exchange of copies of some of our non-confidential or declassified material for copies of some of their collections.
I had also taken the initiative to make available to members of the University at the Oriental Institute Library several major Hong Kong newspapers - which the Hong Kong Government provides for circulation amongst its administrative trainees in Oxford.
Research
In the last seventeen months, I have completed work on a book, "Democracy Shelved: Great Britain, China and Attempts at Constitutional Reform in Hong Kong (1945-52)", which has just been published by the Oxford University Press. I have also had five articles on Hong Kong published, four in the Hong Kong Monitor and one in the Euro-Asia Business Review. I am currently working on two more papers, one to be submitted to the Pacific Review, and the other to the Hong Kong Monitor. I have also presented two papers on post-war Hong Kong, one at the School of Oriental and African Studies, and the other at a seminar organized by the Friends of Hong Kong Committee.
Steve Tsang 24 April 1987
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