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connexion that the Hong Kong police on 12th January exercised the greatest forbearance, as will be clearly seen from the fact that only one person was seriously hurt and one other detained in hospital, four others receiving superficial injuries. All have received, or are still receiving, free medical treatment and maintenance while in hospital. Had the facts been presented to the Chinese public in proper perspective, I do not doubt but that they would have regarded the matters at issue in a calmer and more objective spirit.

8. His Majesty's Government, for their part, also deplore the fact that the incident in question took place while discussions about the walled City of Kowloon were proceeding at Nanking. They regard these discussions as still in progress, and they hope shortly to submit their views to the Chinese Government.

9. The Governor of Hong Kong was kept informed of the representations made by the Chinese Government to His Majesty's Ambassador at Nanking, and His Majesty's Government are satisfied that he has taken, and will continue to take, those representations into account. At the same time His Majesty's Government consider that the Hong Kong Government were fully justified in deciding to clear the area of the temporary hutments, which were endangering the well-being of the community at large. They also consider that the Hong Kong Government showed every consideration to the squatters in the measures taken to evict them consistent with good administration and the maintenance of law and order. In His Majesty's Government's opinion, it would be quite wrong for the Hong Kong Government, on account of the jurisdiction issue, to refrain from taking such administrative measures in respect of Kowloon City as are necessary in the interests of the community as a whole. As has already been stated above, His Majesty's Government regard the jurisdiction issue as one to be dealt with separately if necessary. In this connexion His Majesty's Govern- ment cannot but regret the standpoint adopted by the National Times and the activities of the magistrate of Po On district referred to above, which were, they feel, not conducive to a just and amicable settlement of the matter.

10. I shall be grateful if your Excellency will inform your Government of the facts of the case as set out above and will represent to them the desirability of taking steps to ensure that they are placed before the public in China. If this is done, I feel confident that a satisfactory solution will readily be found, and that the friendly relations which exist between our two countries will thereby be strengthened.

I have, &c.

C. R. ATTLEE.

F 1925/154/10

Dr. Cheng to Mr. Bevin. (Received 5th February)

Your Excellency,

Chinese Embassy,

5th February, 1948. I have the honour to acknowledge receipt of your Excellency's Note dated 24th January, 1948, concerning the recent evictions of Chinese residents from the City of Kowloon and under instructions from my Government, to send to you the following reply:--

The Chinese Government wishes to state that, in regard to jurisdiction over the City of Kowloon, it has consistently adhered to the interpretation it has adopted of the Peking Convention of 1898, namely, that the City of Kowloon is expressly reserved to Chinese jurisdiction. This interpretation is borne out not only by the wording of the said convention but also by reference to the other treaties concluded in the same year which form the bases of other leased territories. Such reference is justified inasmuch as the arrangement of reserving a special zone connected with each of the leased territories to Chinese jurisdiction formed a part of general Chinese policy and was not confined to Kowloon. It will be found, e.g., that expression is given to this policy in Article 1 of the Sino-German Convention of 6th March, 1898, regarding Kiaochow and Article 4 of the additional agreement between China and Russia of 7th May, 1898, regarding the Liaotung Peninsula, which latter provides specifically that." The administration and police of the City of Kinchow shall be Chinese."

It is true that the revelant provision in the Peking Convention regarding Kowloon speaks of "Chinese officials now stationed there" and requires them to exercise their jurisdiction in a manner consistent with the military requirements