CO537-2190 — Page 29

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Canton, dated 29th June, 13) stating that "as Kowloon city is chinese Territory and has not been leased to Crest Britain, the Government of long kong has not, under any circumstances, the power to order ita residents to move ɛlsewherc and stating that ibey now wished that Chinese officisis should be pervitted to resume jurisdiction in Kowloon City. The British Government stood by the order-in-Council of 27th December, 189), but it was p inted out that it had never, in fact, been recognized by the chese Government.

After consultation with the war office, Admiralty

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53552/37) and Air Ministry it was decided at a meeting held in London

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on 16th July, 1937, between the Governor of Hong Kong, and representatives of the War Office, Foreign Office and Colonial Office, that any concession to the Chinese in regard to their resuming jurisdiction over Kowloon Cit- might well be incompatible with the military requirements of Hong Kong, and that once a concession had been allowed in Kowl on City (an area of approximately 8& acres), the Chinese might be expected to "cast covetous cyes un the rest of the New Territories of which the salled City wan in the pre-cession era tie Chinese administrative centre Authority was therefore given for the remaining regulcitrant owners in Kualoon to be evicted and an

5355237) intelligence report dates 30th ptember, 1937, states that

the Chinese authorities had not referred to the matter aghin either in Canton or Nankind.

They have however paloed the matter again at the present time and the Gover.or of long kong, Sir Mark Young, in an interview with Mr. T.. Awok (Chinese Special Foreign Affairs Commissioner, on September 15th, was informed that the Chinese Government would not relinquish any treaty rights, was preparing to re-estabilan its jurisdiction, and hos actually given orders that the Chinese civil administration was to be set up in Kowlson City. It seems clear from the foregoing paragraphs that China has never agreed to waive her jurisdiction over the walled city although no jurisdiction has been excrcised tuero si noe 1899. The Governor replied to Mr. Awok that if the Chinese Goverment wished to raise the qucation of masing an alt: ration in the status of kowl on City, they wOLIČ, presumably, Lako reposentations on the subject to His majesty's Government.

1919/46