CO537-3711 — Page 60

Registry No.

Top Secret.

DRAFT

CASE FOR SUBMISSION TO THE LAW OFFICERS OF

Secret.

F.A.VL

Confidential.

Restricted.

Open.

Draft.

for the Legal

Adviser,

Foreign Office, to sign.

Gentlemen,

THE CROWN.

I have the honour, by direction of Mr.

Secretary Bevin, to request that you will favour

him with your opinion on certain questions that

have arisen out of differences between His

Majesty's Government and the Government of China

with respect to jurisdiction over the walled

City of Kowloon.

2. Kowloon City is a small part of the area

leased by China to Great Britain by a Convention

of 9th June, 1898, and which formed an extension

to the territory of Hong Kong. The City is

situated about a quarter of a mile from the sea-

shore and is near the Kai Tak aerodrome.

(Additional information is given in paragraphs 1

and 2 of Paper A, No. 1; a map of Kowloon City

is attached as Paper A, No. 2).

3. Since 16th May, 1899 the Hong Kong authorities

have in fact exercised jurisdiction over Kowloon

City.

In 1899 1900 and 1933

J

1937 the

Chinese Government challenged the right of the

Hong Kong authorities to exercise this jurisdic-

tion.

The matter was again broached in 1946 and

the dispute has been brought to a head as a

result of attempts made by the Hong Kong author-

ities on 5th and 12th January, 1948 to evict

Chinese squatters from insanitary dwellings in

Kowloon City. Information on the earlier history

of the matter is contained in Paper A, No. 1,

attached. The events giving rise to the present

différencés

are set out more fully below.

Copies of available correspondence between H.M.G.

NOTHING

TO

BE WRITTEN

IN

THIS MARGIN.

(51) F.&S.

3148 Wt. 26469/137 100m 9/46 (51) F.&S. 4400 Wt. 48098/143 (2) 75m. 3/47

and the/

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