-3-
Mr. Kwok mentioned these points several times in the
course of our conversation but he did not speak with any
certainty about them or make them sound at all convincing. He
also attempted to argue the legal question of the effect of the
Convention and what he described as the unilateral action of
His Majesty's Government in terminating, in 1899, the exercise
of jurisdiction by Chinese officials in Kowloon City.
I did not enter into a discussion with him on these
points, but told him simply that the facts of the matter were
as set out in the Government communique of September 15th; that
this communique had been published in consequence of what
appeared to be wholly irresponsible pronouncements by the Chinese
press; that if it really was the case that the Chinese Government
wished to raise the question of making an alteration in the
present existing status of Kowloon City they would doubtless
now decide how to make representations in the matter.
Mr. Kwok said that he had hoped to be able to settle
the matter amicably with me. I said that there was really
nothing to settle; I was certainly not going to discuss with
him what he apparently wanted to discuss, namely the question
how far and in what way Chinese civil administration might be
set up in Kowloon City; the question whether there should be
such any change was one which I presumed the Chinese Government
would take up, if they so decided, in the proper manner. Mr.
Kwok said that he was sending a copy of the notification of
September 15th to his Government and seeking instructions in
the matter. He would also send to me a notification regarding
the instructions which he and the Magistrate of Po On had
already received.
In conclusion I told Mr. Kwok that if any sort of offi-
cial communication on the subject had reached me I should
naturally not have replied to it by the issue of a communique
to the press. I made it clear again that the Hong Kong Govern-
ment notification of September 15th had been issued to correct
misconceptions which might well arise in consequence of what
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