CO537-3711 — Page 11

But it was kn complete wi

the extent of Jorous excres

not any great change in Kowloon City until Hong Kong was occu-

pied by the apanese during the second world wer. At the

present time 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

atationed 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 to us, 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 oficials then alive, and must, we think,

be intended to deserite the extent of the jurisdiction then

exercised. This jurisdiction we 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 we think that the expression

"Chinese officials" must include military as well as civilian

control. it is to be noted that a Chinese version of the

Convention/