★
P 13659/3918/10.
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EL
S.W.1.
13th December, 1939.
77
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Immediate.
8ir,
I am directed by Viscount Halifax to refer to Foreign
Office letter No.P 12456/3918/10 of the 12th December
forwarding a copy of a telegram addressed to His Majesty's
Ambassador in China on the subject of the withdrawal of
His Majesty's Ships from the upper Yangtze,
2. In paragraph 6 of his letter No. 11376/3918/10 of the
8th November, Lord Halifax expressed his concurrence with the
Commander-in-Chief that internment of the three gunboats above
Hankow, that is to say in free China, should be postponed, at
least until the Chinese Government approached His Majesty's
Government on the subject.
3. This approach was in fact made to Bir Archibald Clark
Kerr during his recent visit to Chungking (see Shanghai
telegram No.1321 of the lat December) and it now appears from
Sir Archibald Clark Kerr's further telegram No.1366 (a copy
of which is now enclosed) that the retention of a gunboat at
Chungking is no longer required in the interests of telegraphic
communication with the Diplomatic Mission there.
4. In these circumstances Lord Halifax sees no objection to
two out of the three ships on the upper Yangtze being laid up as
proposed in the Commander-in-Chief's telegram ilo,336 to the
Admiralty. I am to add that he would be grateful if he could
be informed in due course of the decision of the Lorda
Commissioners of the Admiralty, so that arrangements may be
made to notify the Governments concerned.
I only
Your obedient Servant,
The Secretary
of the Admiralty.
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(Sd.) R. G. HOWE,
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