CO537-3711 — Page 109

F 5646/1099/10

1934.

COPY

K.M. Minister Poking to Chinese Ministry of

*

Forslin affairs.

MORANDUM.

His Kajesty's Minister has the honour to refer

to the telegram of June 26th from the Ministry of Foreign

Affairs on the subject of reports which had reached

His sxcellency in connection with certain measures under-

taken by the British authorities affecting Chinese resi-

dents in Kowloon City.

On receipt of the telegram above referred to enquiries

were instituted by the competent authorities and His

Majesty's Minister is now able to state in reply that

the reports in question were based on a misapprehension

of the true facts. In the first place the Governor of

Hongkong uid not issue any notice to the inhabitants of

Kowloon City in question setting a time limit for their

evacuation but comunicated to them the terms of a generous

offer with a view to carrying out a scheme conceived

in their interests for improving sanitary conaitions. In

so doing the Governor was clearly acting within his rights

and no question of brosch of treaty stipulations arises.

Furthermore is xcellency the Minister for Foreign Affairs

appears also to have been misinformed as to the attitude

of the inhabitants of Kowloon City, for they are

neither frightened nor disturbed, but on the contrary the

vast majority of them have gladly accepted the Governor's

offer. It would be moat unjust, as His Excellency will

understana, to withdraw the offer now and the Governor will

therefore proceed to carry out the scheme. His Excellency

X. 16

may/