CO537-3705 — Page 180

Cypher (0.T.P.)

TO HONG KONG (Jir A. Grantham)

FROM S. OF S. COLONIES.

(@#njqr]) 5+/L FITBE 3M °F add

Sent 17th Jamary, 1948. 23.30 hrs.

IMPORTANT

No. 79 Restricted.

Following from Foreign Office to Nanking No. 35 of 16th January repeated to you.

y telegram No. 30 (of 13th January - Kowloon evictions].

Chinese Ambassador called on Sir Orme Sargent on 14th January and repeated the representations made by his Minister the day before.

2. Şir Orue Sargent told the Ambassador that in his view the important thing was to divorce the administrative question of dealing with squatters from the political question of the jurisdiction over Kowloon city. We were administering the area and we could not possibly allow conditions to prevail which might lead to disorder or disease, That accusations, for example, would be levelled against us if we allowed conditions to continue and an outbreak of cholera occurred as a result? We certainly could not ask the Government of Hong Kong to stop using force if that were necessitated or from sending bodies of police to maintain order. On the other hand Sir 0. Sargent had no doubt that the Government of Hong Kong would take all proper steps to ensure that no one who has a right to live in Kowloon is expelled and to obtain alternative accommodation for those who are evicted. could not however pander to agitation by Chinese communists. (Though Hong Kong reports indicate that the agitation was instigated by the Kuomintang, the Ambassador did not seek to deny that it was communist-inspired).

I

3. Finally Sir 0. Sargent said that we would as soon as possible return a considered reply to the four points raised by him and by the Chinese Foreign Minister to you [see paragraph 2 of your telegram No. 14). Ends.

Circulated to:-

Secretary of State Sir T. Lloyd

Mr. Rees Williams

Bir C. Jeffries

Sir S. Caine

Mr. Esatwood

Mr. Poynton

Mr. Rogers

Mr. Galsworthy

Mr. Bennett

Mr. Ian Watt

Mr. Blackburne

Colonial Attache

Mr. Bigg

Accounts Branch

Mr. Holding

R. 445

Mr. Collins

Fr. Seel

Mr. Mayle

Mr. W.1.J. Wallace

Mr. Grossmith

Mr.

Scarlett

Mr. Radford:

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