CO537-3707 — Page 147

Draft

TELEGRAM/SAVINGRAM

To

་

GOVERNOR,

Mr. Wallace........... 9.7.

Repeated to:-

Mr.Sidney Abrahams 9.7.

Mr. Sidebotham....... 14/7

Mr. Paskin.

14/2

Sein C. Jeffries 1577

XPermt. U.S. of S.

Parly. U.S. of S.

X S. of S.

In-Clear

-Code-

HONG KONG, (for conson)

File No.

54145/16/Pt.IIl

/48.

Sent.

hours.

M.M. Ambassador,

mador, Wanking

.194..

To be transmitted :—

Priority :-

No.

Reply urgently-required.- Important

Cypher

Immediate.

"Most Immediate:

Restricted: Confidential.

Sceret. Top Secret.

Distribution :—

Further action -

(253)

opies to Mr. A.L. Scott, (4 copies)

Mr. P... Martin (Min.Der. 2 copies)

Your telegram No. 606.

Kowloon City.

are

1. H.M.G. is advised that if case were to go

before International Court, H.M.G. could not

(repeat not) successfully resist Chinese claim

to exercise jurisdiction in Kowloon City

unless upon the ground of military requirement.

As to this ground, it would be necessary to

establish some present or apprehended contingency

or a military character which, from a military

point of view, rendered it impossible to agree

to e resumption of Chinese jurisdiction.

would be for the Court to decide on this point

upon evidence of military experts on each side

subjected to cross-examination by the other.

2.

It

In the light of this advice there can be.

no question of our taking the case before the

Court and we must avoid giving the Government

of China grounds for them to take us to Court.

If therefore we are not merely to let the

matter slide, which would leave Kowloon City

as an obvious opening for the Chinese to make trouble at any time they wished, we must seek

/to