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Cypher/OTP

FROM NANKING TO FOREIGN OFFICE

Sir R. Stevenson

No. 34

10th January, 1948

DEPARTMENTAL

D. 12.20 p.m. 10th January, 1948

R. 2.55 p.m. 10th January, 1948

Addressed to Hong Kong telegram No. 17 of 10th January repeated to Foreign Office.

My telegram to Foreign Office No. 33 repeated to

(9) you as 16.

Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs sent for the Counsellor this morning and again reverted to Kowloon eviction incident. He stated that he understood that Dr. Kwok had received no satisfaction from the Hong Kong Government in the matter of arrested persons mentioned in second paragraph of my telegram No. 12 and that he was merely informed that they must await their trial. Dr. Liu Shi Shun reiterated his fears that the situation might get out of hand and begged that, to help the Ministry to prevent this, we should at least let him have assurances to the following procedure.

(a) That all evicted persons had been given a chance to accommodate themselves elsewhere,

(b) that some form of compensation (he stated a new house) should be given to the owner of the house which had been in existence for 80 years (see para-

He also urged (3) graph 2 of my telegram No. 12).

(c) that it would be of course helpful if it could be made known that the two arrested persons would at least be brought very speedily to trial. It would be even better if the Hong Kong Government could make gesture of releasing them.

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Labouchere pointed out that the Chinese themselves were responsible for matters being allowed to develop as they have but he formed the impression that Vice Minister was more worried than usual about it all. If therefore you can let me have material asked for in paragraph 4 of my telegram No. 12 I should be grateful.

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