Point 8.
Point 9.
nothing. The Ambassador did not know what the
Governor's view on this would be, but he said
that the Governor is certainly not very worried
by the situation as it is at present (there were
about 40 squatters in the area when the Ambassador
visited it a month or two ago).
On the other hand the Ambassador said to leave
the Kowloon issue unsettled would almost certainly
mean that H.M.G. would get no compensation over the
Canton incident. (Mr. Sidebotham observed to
Mr. Scarlett that in view of what the Ambassador had
said, he felt that the Foreign Office would have to
consider very carefully what line they would wish to
take, since from the Colonial Office standpoint it
certainly began to look as if much the best course,
vis a vis Hong Kong, was to leave Kowloon as it stood.)
The Ambassador gave an interesting little
description of the Kowloon Walled City area as a
rectangle, approximately 100 yds. by 200 yds., north west
of the Kai Tak aerodrome and adjoining a very closely
built up area of small Chinese hutments and dwellings.
· small portion of wall at one end and
Of the original walls nothing remains except a low
and the other and
mound on three sides (or the rectangle.
The other
side was open and on that side lay a small temple
X and a rest-house
Inside and
*
Backing against the perimeter
www on three sides, there were a number of disreputable
mat huts where the present squatters lived. The centre
of the area was largely overgrown or cultivated as
small gardens. There might be one or two plots in
the area to which some proper occupation claim
could be made. Originally the Walled City of Kowloon
eloraly adjomed
ak myfinnerty bound by the sea on the east, and was a
/place