Cypher/OTP
Copy registered
for action
54145/16/48
ve. Kowloon City issue.
POLITICAL DISTRIBUTION
FROM NANKING TO FOREIGN OFFICE
Sir R. Stevenson.
No.333
D. 1.17 p.m. 9th April, 1948
9th April, 1948.
R. 2.49 p.m. 9th April, 1948.
Repeated to Hong Kong and Canton.
IMPORTANT
CONFIDENTIAL
Addressed to Foreign Office telegram No.333 of April 9th, repeated for information to Hong Kong and Canton.
My telegram No.319. Canton outrage.
}
Political Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs sont for His Majesty's Minister April 8th and handed him aide memoire with reference to my further communication (see last two sentences of first paragraph of my telegram under reference) to which Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs explained that the Minister for Foreign Affairs would not be replying formally just yet.
See E/19(2)
2. Aide Memoire copy of which follows, contained the following statements: -
(a) Matter of customs duty exemption for non official schemes would be taken up again and it was hoped that the result might be favourable.
(b) reports that the Chinese investigators showed that "Chinese authorities concerned had taken whet was considered to be the necessary precautions immediately after the Kowloon City incident when they foresaw what might follow in its wake". In the course of the incident more than 100 persons were arrested of whom 26 have been held for trial and if found guilty would be dully punished. Local authorities could thereforc "not be charged with any lack of duc diligence in the matter".
(c) In spite of "absence of responsibility" on the part of the Chinese Government, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has been carefully checking losses sustained by the parties concerned and is prepared to recommend to the Chinese Government an equitable solution of the question" but if this recommendation were made prior to settlement of Kowloon affair it would meet with serious difficulty and chance of it being accepted would be very slin". The position of the Chinese Special Commissioner at ong Kong was "not at all comfortable" as he had the task of
trying to pacify
Page 45Page 46