NOTHING
TO
BE
WRITTEN
NI
THIS
MARGIN.
is onlined, departure by
agitators and by Po On officials. At the
same time exaggerated and misleading reports
appeared in some sections of the Chinese
Micial
language press, notably in the National Times.
which it is understood receivesubsidy)
from the Kuomintanger Chinese-Government }{
The in
Le consequence was
that, when the Hong Kong Government met the
challenge to their authority and took steps
on the 12th January to clear the site again,
the police escorting the working party met
with organized resistance and were compelled
to use force. For that the chief
responsibility must be attributed to the
Chinese language press in Hong Kong and in
Chine, which for weeks past had been
sedulously fanning the spark of anti-British
to
agitation and the provocative action of the
I
Po On Magistrate referred to above.
would emphasize in this connexion that the
Hong Kong police on the 12th January.
exercised the greatest forbearance, as will
be clearly seen from the fact that only one
person was seriously hurt. Had the facts
been presented to the Chinese public in proper
perspective, I do not doubt but that they
would have regarded the matters at issue in a
calmer and more objective spirit.
His Majesty's Government for their part
also deplore the fact that the incident in
question took place while discussions about the
walled city of Kowloon were proceeding at
Nanking. They regard these discussions as
still in progress and they hope shortly to
submit their views to the Chinese Government.
They
3148 Wt. 26469/137 50m 9/46 (51) F.&S.