FOREIGN OFFICE, S.W. 1.
19th April, 1948.
3
Dear Roberts-Wray,
Jurisdiction within the Walled City
of Kowloon.
The Foreign Office and Colonial Office have decided they wish to take the opinion of the Law Officers on this question. I believe that Abrahams has been the Legal Adviser in the Colonial Office who has been dealing with it. I understand that the Colonial Office now wish the matter to go before the Law Officers with the minimum of delay. I am now sending to you a first draft of a case for the Law Officers which has been prepared here by Vallat and Mervyn Jones. It is not quite complete and requires, I think, some amendment. Nevertheless, in order to save time, I send to you the draft as it is in order that you may get it considered. I think the next step would be a meeting to discuss the draft. In order that you may know how my mind is working, I enclose a copy of a minute which I have written for Vallat and Mervyn Jones on this draft. If you wish the case to go to the Law Officers jointly from you and me, I have no objection.
There is one other point on which I think I should indicate to you certain reflections that occurred to me on reading these papers. The point has all the more force if one does not feel that one is 100% sure that we will win the case. On a rather superficial view, I am inclined to think we have a strong case, but by no means 100% case. You will see from paragraph 18 of the reference and from the memorandum handed in by the Chinese Ambassador here on the 9th March, the last document in Paper E, how the attempt to settle the matter by compromise has broken down at present. It may seem to the Law Officers, as it seemed to me at first sight, but I have not discussed the matter with anybody, that we ought to have at least one more effort
K.O. Roberts-Wray, Esq., C.M.G.,
Colonial Office.
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