Cypher (0.T.P.)
(##njq?]} 5+ZA DIZEL BM
TO HONG KONG (Sir A. Grantham)
FROM S. OF S., COLONIES.
Sent 20th March, 1948.
14.45 hrs.
No. 371 Confidential.
Following from Foreign Office to Nanking No. 257 of 17th March repeated Hong Kong. Begins..
Your telegram No. 233: kowloon,
It now seems abundantly clear that the Chinese will not accept any solution which does not give them a victory on the question of jurisdiction. This we are unwilling to concede. The alternative seems to be to allow the Chine se to take us to the International Court, where we are advised our case would be by no means a bad one. The Law Officers are however being consulted as to the strength of our legal case and pending receipt of their views we do not propose to take any further action in the matter.
2. Unless the Chinese roade from their present position you should therefore be non-osmittal if they make any
further appræsch, JEnds.
Secretary of State
Bir T. Lloya
Kr. Rees Williams
Sir C. Jeffries
8ir 3. Caine
Mr. Eastwood
Mr. Gorell Barnes
Mr. Poynton
Mr. Rogers
Ér. Galsworthy
Kr. Bennett
Kr. Ian Watt
Mr. Blackburne
Mr. Collins
Colonial Attache
Mr. Bigg
Accounts Branch
Mr. Holding R. 445
Mr. Roberts-Wray
Mr. Mayle
Mr. W.I.J. Wallace Mr. Radford