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165

(F2354/1870/10).

OUT FILE

FOREIGN OFFICE, S.. 1.

17th March, 1939.

Dear Chancery,

In Foreign Office despatch No. 385 of the 17th

February ( 1574/186/10), it was stated that no useful

purpose would be served by sending a British warship to

Hainan, and a reply in this sense was sent to the French

Embassy here.

2. It now appears that we omitted to repeat our

telegram No. 88 to Tokyo to the Commander-in-Chief of the

China Station, and as the Admiralty also apparently sent

no instructions, Admiral Noble, with whom the responsibility

rests for movements of ships in Far Eastern waters, actually

sent H.M.9. "Tenedos" on two occasions to Hainan.

3. It is a little difficult satisfactorily to

explain away our apparent inconsistency to the French, but

we have told the Embassy here that our reply to them was

intended to indicate that is ajesty's Government would

be averse from the more or less permanent stationing of

The Chancery,

British Embassy,

Paris.

a/

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