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NOTHING TO BE WRITTEN IN THIS MARGIN.

Paper E, No. 1. attached.

denied the responsibility of Chinese

authorities for the attacks, but despite

repeated British protests, the Chinese troops

were not removed from Kowloon City.

Accordingly, information having been received

by the Governor of Hong Kong of plans for the

invasion of the leased territory by large

numbers of troops from the northern boundary,

the Governor was authorised to deal with the

matter locally. Kowloon City and the

Valley of Sham Chun were occupied by British

forces on 16th and 17th May, 1899. (Sham

Chun, outside the leased territory, was later

evacuated). On 21st May, 1899, the Yamen

protested that this was in direct contravention

of the Convention of 1898 and requested Her

Majesty's Chargé d'Affaires to telegraph to

H.M.G. to order the withdrawal of the

occupying forces. H.M.G. Chargé, stating that

it was impossible for H.M.G. to accept the

view that the Chinese authorities were not

responsible for the attacks on British

officials and troops, replied that he did not

feel justified in telegraphing in the sense

desired.

13. On 30th May, 1899, the Marquis of

Salisbury handed a note to the Chinese Minister

in London, in reply to a telegram from the

Yamen which the Minister had left at the

Foreign Office. The note reviewed the facts

from April 3 to the date of the expulsion of

the Chinese troops and officials from Kowloon

and stating that "in view of the fact that the

Chinese Government do not hold themselves

responsible for attacks by local mobs on

British/