CO537-3705 — Page 179

Cypher (0.T.P.)

TO HONG KONG (Sir A. Grant ham)

FROM S. OF S., COLONIES.

Sent 18th January, 1948. 14.45 hrs.

IMPORTANT

No. 84 Restricted.

Following from Foreign Office to Nanking No. 37 of 17th January repeated to Hong Kong for information. Begins.

Hy telegram No. 55 jef 16th Jemwarý – Kowloon evictions).

[Hy telegram No.

Chinese Minister called again on 15th Januzry and read out extracts from further telegrams received from Nanking. The mein object of his visit was to urge that the Hong Kong Government should station no police in Kowloon city and release the two accused persons pending settlement of the dispute. The liinister was given no encouragement to suppose that the Tiong Kong Goverment would interfere with the law and it was again represented to him that the Chinese Government should divorce the question of the Kowloon incident from that of jurisdiction over Kowloon city.

2. At the close of the interview Minister made the purely personal suggestion that Kowloon city might be allocated as the site for the Chinese Maritime Customs now that the customs @greement has been signed. He stressed that he had no authori from his Government or from his Ambassador to make this suggestion and he would not wish it to be known at this juncture that the ides emanated from hin. When it was indiosted to him that from the practical point of view Kowloon city would hardly be suitable at present for occupation by the Customs, Minister said this would not matter as long as the allocation was made in principle.7

Jo

Enda.

·irculateu tu:

Jecretary of State Sir T. Lloyd

kr. kees Williama

81r C. Jeffriss

Sir S. Caine

Ar. Eastwood

Mr. Poynton

Mr. Rogers

Mr. Galsworthy

Mr. Bennett

Hr. Ian Watt

Mr. Blackburne

Colonial Attache

Mr. Bigg

Accounts Branch

Mr. Holding

R. 445

Mr. Collins

Mr. Seel,

Mr. Mayle

Mr. W.I.J. Wallace

Mr. Radford

Mr. Scarlett

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