Mo. P 360/154/10
FO. ION
24th Januɛry, 1948.
1.
Your excellency,
I have the honour to refer to the representationa which Your xcellency has recently made to me conceruång the eviction of the squatters from the former walled city of owloon. Your Minister Counsellor wes good enough to leave at the Foreign Office on the 13th January an aide- memoire setting out our points to which he drew special attention.
•
2. As u are aware, the Chinese Goverment and Hie Kajesty's Gove ument hold divergent views about the question of jurisdiction over the so called valled city of Kowloon
I would and I do not propàse to discuss these in this Note. however point out that, except for the period of Japanese occupation from 25th December 1941 to September 1945, the Hong Song Government have in fact exercised sole jurisdiction over the six and a half acres in question uninterruptedly from 1899 down to the present day, a period of nearly fifty jeare.
3. The facts in the recent incident must be considered against the above background, and I should like to set them out shortly for your information.
4. The area concerned was formerly occupied by about sixty five Chinese who, during 1935 to 1937, were moved into alternative improved quarters by the long long Government, voluntarily except in three or four cases. On the liberation of hong Kong by his Majesty's forces, it was found that the Japanese had pulled down the surrounding walls to provide materials for the Naitak airfield, and that squatters had
His Excellency
Dr. Cheng Tien-llsi,
etc..
etc.,
etc.,
49, Portland Place,
1.
occupied /
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.