Preliminary Memorandum

• Author: Chamberlam, Austen
• Pages: 28

(2) Prelimiary Memorandum drawn up by the Charman of the China Indemnity Advisory Committee for the Information and Consideration of the Committee as provisionally constituted (See paragraphs 28-25 of Committee's Report)

The followmg Memorandum may be of assistance to the members of the Committee m considering the various pomts with which they have to deal The Memorandum does not pretend to be exhaustive BUXTON December 29, 1925

MEMORANDUM FUNDS AT IISPOSAL OF rTH CoMxrTTB The Treasury letter that gives the detailed information in respect of the total amount of the funds at the disposal of the Committee covering a period of twenty-three years is attached (Appendix I).* Omitting the period ending December 1922, which is negligible, there appears to be an average annual receipt during the twenty-two years remaining of (m round figures) ~810,000 on account of principal and ~190,000 m respect of interest, an average annual receipt of ~500,000

The amount received m the three years ending December 1928, 1924 and 1925, amounting m all to about ~1,340,000, has been accumulated and is at the disposal of the Committee OBJECTS TO BE BERNE N MIND It has to be borne m mind that the fundamental object m returning the Indemnity is thereby to improve the friendly relations between China and Great Britain, and to enable the two Countries better to know, respect and appreciate each other In dealing therefore with the educational and other problems,

It is not enough simply to do what may be held to be actually the best thing, it is equally important that what is proposed should be m accord with Chinese opmion It is essential to make it clear by the proposals that are made, that there is no intention of utilsmg the Indemnity for the purpose of exploting China m the interests of British influence or trade or of British educational propaganda The educational work would have to be carned out on hnes adapted to the country, and the scheme for education would have * Not prmted (See p 49 of Delegaon's Report.)

to be acceptable to Chinese educationalists and to the Chinese Government Indeed, the aim of any educational scheme would appear to be to devolve the responsibility on the Chinese themselves, z e, Chinese education by Chinese under Chinese control PROPOSALS FOB THE EXPENDITURE OF THE FUNDS The main proposals which have been urged on the Committee from various quarters for the expenditure of the funds at their disposal are as follows I -Educational purposes in their widest aspect II -Medical purposes mI -(a) Conservation of rivers, with a iew to the prevention of disastrous floods (b ) Reclamation of land or irrigation work IV -(a ) Railways (b ) Public roads It ts assumed in this Memorandum1 That the Committee would desire, on the whole, to concentrate their efforts and then funds on comparatively few rather than to attempt to deal with a large number of different objects 2 That in view of the terms of the Act and of the debates on the Bill m the two Houses of Parliament at the very least half the amount of the funds at the disposal of the Committee should be devoted to educational purposes When nearly three years ago, the announcement was made that the Boxer Indemnity would be cancelled as a debt, and would be used for objects mutually beneficial to China and to Great Britain, representative opinion, both in China and Great Britain, appeared to assume that expenditure on Education was the only worthy objective Since then, however, and especially pf late, this view has been considerably modified, and it is strongly urged from many influential quarters, that a considerable portion of the money should be applied to purposes other than Education which would also be 'beneficial to the mutual interests of Great Britain and China ' 3. That the Committee note the self-denying ordinances of the Missionary Societies, who have themselves announced that (a) they have decided not to make any appeal for money from the China Indemnity fund and that (b) if any moneys are available for their needs, they would only be prepared to accept them and to use them on the condition that the Chinese authorities concerned give their fullest consent to the arrangement I -EDUCATION Educatwnal Purposes The question of the amount that should be applied towards educational purposes, and the method of application, present the

Suggestions have been made for the consideration of the Committee which cover a very wide field, and there is a great variety of opinion as to the advantages or disadvantages of nearly every particular proposal The questions involved can be classified under the following headings (A )-Assistance to Universities, Colleges and other Chinese Educational Institutions (B )-Elementary and Secondary Education (C )-Subsidised Students min Great Britain (D )-Technical Training (E )-The Education of Girls (F 1-Science and Research It may be noted that the late Sir John Jordan held the view ' that anv funds provided from the Indemnity for the education of Chinese could be far better spent on the support of existing Institutions than embarking on new educational ventures ' (A )-Universites and Colleges A list of existing Universities and Colleges in China is given in Appendix II * 1 -(a ) Many. perhaps most of these Institutions are min need of additional capital for extension and equipment, and of additional funds for salaries, scholarships, the provision of 'Chairs,' and the like.

It is urged from many quarters that grants for these purposes to certain of the Universities and Colleges would be most useful and acceptable [Definite applications from some of these Universities and Colleges, with details of their requirements have been received.] (b ) Special representations have been made in regard to the Hong Kong University This University was established in 1910, and has some 200 to 800 students enrolled, practically all Chinese Half of these students have been recruited from the British Colonies (the Straits Settlements and Hong Kong), the remainder are Chinese Government scholars, and the number of self-supporting students from China is small It is urged that financial assistance should be given to the Hong Kong UTniversity, whose educational standard is high in respect, especially to (1) scholarships, (2) new professorships, (8) development of existing faculties and the institution of new ones, (4) 'feeder' schools on mainland of China On the other hand, it is pointed out that this University is attended mainly by Chinese living in the Straits Settlements,

Hong Kong, Shanghai and elsewhere outside China proper The University is probably in some ways too far away from the centre * Not pmnted

of China and it is stated that the chmate is too enervating for northern Chinese to attend The education also is somewhat expensive, and not so very much less than the Chinese Government allov ance to a scholar at a Umversity abroad 2. It is further proposed that Chairs which would be occupied by Chinese...