CO537-3706 — Page 147

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Cypher/OTP

POLITICAL DISTRIBUTION

FROM NANKING TO FOREIGN OFFICE

Sir R. Stevenson

No. 181

20th February, 1948.

Repeated to Hong Kong

IMMEDIATE

Aus. (C-K).

D. 7.50 a.m. 20th February, 1948

R. 8.15 a.m. 20th February, 1948-

Addressed to Foreign Office telegram No. 181 of February 20th repeated for information to Hong Kong.

My telegram No. 175 - Kowloon.

Following gp. undec. ? draft] was communicated last night to iis Majesty's Minister by Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs who said that it represented the utmost which Minister for Foreign Affairs was likely to accept. Even so he was not sure that it would prove acceptable to the Chinese Government. He added that the Minister for Foreign Affairs still hoped that original Chinese proposal (your telegram No. 75) would be adopted.

2. [Begins]

The Kowloon incident has for the past few weeks formed subject of continued discussion between Chinese and British as, indser] Having given careful consideration to their respective positions and in pursuance of their common desire to bring about an amicable settlement of the incident, the two Governments have agreed upon the following points.

(1) the entire area of the city of Kowloon shall be turned into a Garden of Remembrance to commemorate Allied victory in the war against Japanese aggression.

(2) the administration of the garden shall be entrusted to [aps undc consisting of 7 members, which shall be appointed by Provincial Government of Kuangtung which shall include two representatives of the leased territory of Kowloon. Cost of construction and maintenance of the garden shall be shared by the authorities of the leased territory of Kowloon.

[Ends].

3. His Majesty's Minister agreed to communicate this text to me but made it clear that it could hardly be regarded as a satisfactory compromiso and would certainly cause įspe, undoet great disappointment.

4.

Admittedly a garden of remembrance administered as

/you