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discussion between that Government and His Majesty's Government. I derived the impression that you shared this view and appreciated that meanwhile public health must be protected and public order preserved. As I informed you in our conversation of 13th January, your failure to make the above position clear to those affected by public health measures necessary in Kowloon City leaves you in my view with a major responsibility for the regrettable incident of the morning of 12th January.

3. I categorically reject the implication in your letter concerning the conduct of this Government or of its officers. In no case did any police officer fire at the crowd. In this connexion I invite your attention to the public statement issued by this Government in the press on 11th and 13th of this month. In particular I again draw your attention to the fact that prior to 5th January alternative sites were offered free to those required to move. This offer is still open. The police took such actions on the occasion of 5th January and 12th January as were necessary to carry out their lawful duty. I am unable to accede to your request that they should do otherwise in future.

I welcome your assurance that your Government attach great importance to the existing friendly relationship between Hong Kong and China. You may rest assured that I will do all in my power to foster that relationship.

F 1353/154/10

(No. 23)

Sir R. Stevenson to Mr. Bevin. (Received 27th January)

His Majesty's Ambassador, Nanking, presents his compliments to His Majesty's Principal Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, and transmits here- with, with reference to Nanking telegram No. 33, a copy of note from the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, No. Ou 37/00559 of 8th January, 1948, and copy of Embassy Note No. 12 of 10th January, 1948.

Nanking, 10th January, 1948.

Enclosure 1

Chinese Ministry for Foreign Affairs to His Majesty's Embassy

No. Ou 37/00559

(Translation)

The Ministry for Foreign Affairs present their compliments to His Britannic Majesty's Embassy and have the honour to state that since the issue by the Hong Kong Government on 27th November, 1947, of the order for the evacuation and demolition of the houses of the Chinese inhabitants of Kowloon City public opinion in various places in China has been greatly aroused. Apart from the repeated representations made by the competent persons and the Ministry's Special Commissioner for Kwangtung and Kwangsi to the embassy and the Hong Kong Government, on the instructions of the Ministry, the Minister for Foreign Affairs personally expressed to the British Ambassador on 10th December, 1947, the hope that the Governments of both China and Britain would pay serious attention to the maintenance and promotion of friendship between the local inhabitants and the Hong Kong Government and that the Hong Kong Government would also take the same attitude and avoid taking any action which might produce an opposite effect or action of an inflammatory nature.

On 5th January, 1948, a big detachments of armed Hong Kong and Kowloon police and workmen entered the city of Kowloon and forcibly demolished several dozen houses of the local inhabitants and arrested two representatives of the inhabitants. No measures whatsoever for the proper accommodation of these destitute and helpless inhabitants were adopted; they were left to sleep homeless in the open.

On 6th January, Dr. Liu Shih-shun, Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs, personally lodged a protest with Mr. Labouchere, counsellor of the embassy, and further, on the same day, declared to the British Ambassador that this case was a question of humanity as well as a treaty question.

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