Registry No.
Top Secret.
DRAFT
CASE FOR SUBMISSION TO THE LAW OFFICERS OF
Secret.
F.A.VL
Confidential.
Restricted.
Open.
Draft.
for the Legal
Adviser,
Foreign Office, to sign.
Gentlemen,
THE CROWN.
I have the honour, by direction of Mr.
Secretary Bevin, to request that you will favour
him with your opinion on certain questions that
have arisen out of differences between His
Majesty's Government and the Government of China
with respect to jurisdiction over the walled
City of Kowloon.
2. Kowloon City is a small part of the area
leased by China to Great Britain by a Convention
of 9th June, 1898, and which formed an extension
to the territory of Hong Kong. The City is
situated about a quarter of a mile from the sea-
shore and is near the Kai Tak aerodrome.
(Additional information is given in paragraphs 1
and 2 of Paper A, No. 1; a map of Kowloon City
is attached as Paper A, No. 2).
3. Since 16th May, 1899 the Hong Kong authorities
have in fact exercised jurisdiction over Kowloon
City.
In 1899 1900 and 1933
J
1937 the
Chinese Government challenged the right of the
Hong Kong authorities to exercise this jurisdic-
tion.
The matter was again broached in 1946 and
the dispute has been brought to a head as a
result of attempts made by the Hong Kong author-
ities on 5th and 12th January, 1948 to evict
Chinese squatters from insanitary dwellings in
Kowloon City. Information on the earlier history
of the matter is contained in Paper A, No. 1,
attached. The events giving rise to the present
différencés
are set out more fully below.
Copies of available correspondence between H.M.G.
NOTHING
TO
BE WRITTEN
IN
THIS MARGIN.
(51) F.&S.
3148 Wt. 26469/137 100m 9/46 (51) F.&S. 4400 Wt. 48098/143 (2) 75m. 3/47
and the/
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