NOTHING TO BE WRITTEN IN THIS MARGIN.
Paper E, No. 1. attached.
denied the responsibility of Chinese
authorities for the attacks, but despite
repeated British protests, the Chinese troops
were not removed from Kowloon City.
Accordingly, information having been received
by the Governor of Hong Kong of plans for the
invasion of the leased territory by large
numbers of troops from the northern boundary,
the Governor was authorised to deal with the
matter locally. Kowloon City and the
Valley of Sham Chun were occupied by British
forces on 16th and 17th May, 1899. (Sham
Chun, outside the leased territory, was later
evacuated). On 21st May, 1899, the Yamen
protested that this was in direct contravention
of the Convention of 1898 and requested Her
Majesty's Chargé d'Affaires to telegraph to
H.M.G. to order the withdrawal of the
occupying forces. H.M.G. Chargé, stating that
it was impossible for H.M.G. to accept the
view that the Chinese authorities were not
responsible for the attacks on British
officials and troops, replied that he did not
feel justified in telegraphing in the sense
desired.
13. On 30th May, 1899, the Marquis of
Salisbury handed a note to the Chinese Minister
in London, in reply to a telegram from the
Yamen which the Minister had left at the
Foreign Office. The note reviewed the facts
from April 3 to the date of the expulsion of
the Chinese troops and officials from Kowloon
and stating that "in view of the fact that the
Chinese Government do not hold themselves
responsible for attacks by local mobs on
British/