H.M.G. and the Chinese Government, but neither
retreated from their position. The Chinese
legal case was stated at some length in Notes of Paper E, No. 2,
28th June and 27th July, 1933, but there seems
to have been some reluctance by H.M.G. to
argue the legal issues.
With the outbreak of
the Sino-Japanese war in 1937 the matter went
into abeyance.
14. It was raised again in the Chinese press
in September, 1946, where some statements went
so far as to say that Kowloon City was excluded
from the leased territory. In a statement
published by the Hong Kong Government on 15th
September, 1946, it was pointed out that these
statements were not in accord with the wording
of the Convention of 1898 and that the juris-
diction of Chinese officials in Kowloon City
was terminated in 1899 because it was found t
be inconsistent with the military requirementsTM
for the defence of Hong Kong.
15.. The facts of the incidents which have
brought the present dispute to a head are that on
27th November, 1947, the Hong Kong Government
issued eviction notices against persons living
in Kowloon. These were ignored, and on 11th
December, 1947, summonses were served.
case was heard before the Kowloon Magistrate on
the 16th December, and he ordered that all
persons illegally occupying Crown land or living
in unauthorised structures in Kowloon Walled
The
City should be evicted and the unauthorised
On 22nd December,
structures dismantled.
notice of this order was served on the residents
of the Walled City who were at the same time
given information as to where alternative
living accommodation could be obtained. The
eviction/
pages....attached.
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