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SPECIAL DISTRIBUTION AND WAR CABINET.
To: CHINA.
Cypher telegram to Sir A. Clark-Kerr (Shanghai).
Foreign Office, 31st December, 1939. 10.30 a.m.
No: 1275.
113
111111111
Your telegram No.1414 [of 28th December: withdrawal of
gunboats].
I concur, and Chinese Government may be notified
informally to that effect. So far as public announcement is
concerned, we propose to say here, "Following on the withdrawal
of five gunboats of the Yangtze patrol in October and a further
three last month (i.e. December), His Majesty's Government have now decided to lay up two of the gunboats on the Upper
Yangtze."
Repeated to Chungking No.191, Tokyo No.896, Commander-
in-Chief (personal) unnumbered, Commodore unnumbered, Hongkong
unnumbered.
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