CO537-3707 — Page 112

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From the date when the Convention was made,

there was not any great change in Kowloon City eni

until Hong Kong was occupied by the Japanese

during the second world war. At the present time t

the city is virtually a ruin, the city wall having

been largely demolished by the Japanese in 1942.

Only two buildings remain; a school which is

in a dilapidated condition and a home for aged

women.

It is in relation to the then state of affairs

as so described that the expression in the

provision in question "Within the City of Kowloon

the Chinese officials now stationed there shall

continue to exercise jurisdiction" has to be

construed. Attached to the Convention there

was a map showing the leased territory, which

includes the territory on which Kowloon City

stands, no distinction in that respect being made

in the marking of the map between the rest of

the leased territory and Kowloon City,

It seems, having regard to the state of

affairs which subsisted at the time when the

words quoted were used, that it is impossible to

construe them otherwise than as providing that

the jurisdiction then exercised by Chinese

officials should continue to remain vested in the

Chinese authorities. The words quoted clearly

cannot refer only to the actual individual officials

then alive, and must, it is thought, be intended

to describe the extent of the jurisdiction then

exercised. This jurisdiction was complete in

the sense that it extended over the whole area

of Kowloon City and applied to all the

inhabitants, military and civilian, then in

Kowloon City. It makes no difference that it

was largely military in character, as it is

thought that the expression "Chinese officials"

/must