CO129-560-17 Kowloon- expropriation of Chinese property 6-1-1937 - 4-9-1937 — Page 57

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Orig. is 28 on 53518 | 34 Sec.

21.

EXTRACT FROM A CONFIDENTIAL DESPATCH FROM

SIR H. KNATCHBULL-HUGESSON TO MR. EDEN

DATED APRIL 9th 1937.

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20. In company with Sir Andrew Caldecott I visited

Kowloon City and inspected the three insatitary hovels

which are all that remain of the slum which has for so

long been a subject of controversy between the Chinese

and ourselves. I also saw the new site and the new

houses to which the remainder of the former Kowloon slum-

dwellers have already moved and satisfied myself at first

hand that the treatment they had received from the Hong

Kong Government was of a most generous character. I

agreed with Sir Andrew that the refusal of the three

remaining occupants of the slum houses to move must be

actuated by political motives supported by Canton, and

that since the effect was to make the Hong Kong Government

look ridiculous, the situation must be terminated without

delay. I arranged that I should be supplied with photographs

of the old and new premises in order to fortify the

announcement which I undertook to make to the Waichiaopu

as soon as I should learn that the Colonial Office had

authorised the demolition of the remaining shacks on the

old site.

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