But it was kn complete wi
the extent of Jorous excres
not any great change in Kowloon City until Hong Kong was occu-
pied by the apanese during the second world wer. At the
present time the city is virtually a ruin, the city wall
having been largely demolished by the Japanese in 1942. Only
two buildings remain; a school which is in a dilapidated
condition and a home for aged women.
It is in relation to the then state of affairs as so
described that the expression in the provision in question
"Within the City of Kowloon the Chinese officials now
atationed there shall continue to exercise jurisdiction"
has to be construed.
Attached to the Convention there was
a map showing the leased territory, which includes the
territory on which Kowloon City stands, no distinction in
that respect being made in the marking of the map between
the rest of the leased territory and Kowloon City.
It seems to us, having regard to the state of affairs
which subsisted at the time when the words quoted were used,
that it is impossible to construe them otherwise than as
providing that the jurisdiction then exercised by Chinese
officials should continue to remain vested in the Chinese
authorities, The words quoted clearly cannot refer only to
the actual individual oficials then alive, and must, we think,
be intended to deserite the extent of the jurisdiction then
exercised. This jurisdiction we complete in the sense that
it extended over the whole area of Kowloon City and applied
to all the inhabitants, military and civilian, then in
Kowloon City. it makes no difference that it was largely
military in character, as we think that the expression
"Chinese officials" must include military as well as civilian
control. it is to be noted that a Chinese version of the
Convention/