CO129-546-11 Kowloon city- expropriation of Chinese owned land 9-1-1934 - 28-12-1934 — Page 74

V/

Any further communication

should be addressed to:-

The Secretary of the Admiralty,

London, S.W.1.

quoting" M.01213/34..

Sir,

CONFIDENTIAL.

JONATIO

NATIONAL

SCHEME

DISABLED

3. ३

MEN

Admiralty, S.W.1.

13th June,

74

19

193

E:V

[10]

With reference to your letter No.33744/34 of

30th April, 1934, concerning the proposal of the Government

of Hong Kong to expropriate certain Chinese tenants of

properties in Kowloon City, I am commanded by My Lords

Commissioners of the Admiralty to offer the following

observations for the considerat ion of the Secretary of

State for the Colonies.

relinned

m [18]

My Lords note from Mr. Stewart Lockhart's report

dated 8th October, 1898, the text of which is given in

| Colonial Office print Eastern No.66, that before the lease

the only Chinese officials stationed within the walled city

of Kowloon who exercised jurisdiction the re were militery

officers, since the only civil magistrate was expressly

stated to have no jurisdiction within the city. My Lords

would of course regard any resumption of military jurisdic-

tion by China as being inconsistent with military require-

ments for the defence of Hong Kong; and They find it

difficult to conceive what jurisdiction might be exercised

by China within the City of Kowloon without prejudice to

defence requirements, since even the exercise of a minor

judicial jurisdiction such as that presumably enjoyed up

to 1899 outside the walls by the Chinese Deputy Magistrate

might give rise to petty oppression and consequent unrest

or provide a cloak for subvers ive activity.

booter to z, म

The Under-Secretary of State,

COLONTAL OFFICE, S..1.

I am, Sir,

Your obedient Servant,

IS Barnes

Copy to 7.0.