CO537-3705 — Page 169

NOTHING

TO

BE

WRITTEN

NI

THIS

MARGIN.

is onlined, departure by

agitators and by Po On officials. At the

same time exaggerated and misleading reports

appeared in some sections of the Chinese

Micial

language press, notably in the National Times.

which it is understood receivesubsidy)

from the Kuomintanger Chinese-Government }{

The in

Le consequence was

that, when the Hong Kong Government met the

challenge to their authority and took steps

on the 12th January to clear the site again,

the police escorting the working party met

with organized resistance and were compelled

to use force. For that the chief

responsibility must be attributed to the

Chinese language press in Hong Kong and in

Chine, which for weeks past had been

sedulously fanning the spark of anti-British

to

agitation and the provocative action of the

I

Po On Magistrate referred to above.

would emphasize in this connexion that the

Hong Kong police on the 12th January.

exercised the greatest forbearance, as will

be clearly seen from the fact that only one

person was seriously hurt. Had the facts

been presented to the Chinese public in proper

perspective, I do not doubt but that they

would have regarded the matters at issue in a

calmer and more objective spirit.

His Majesty's Government for their part

also deplore the fact that the incident in

question took place while discussions about the

walled city of Kowloon were proceeding at

Nanking. They regard these discussions as

still in progress and they hope shortly to

submit their views to the Chinese Government.

They

3148 Wt. 26469/137 50m 9/46 (51) F.&S.