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Japanese Government, the Secretary of State for War
had been asked to withhold for a further period of 48
hours the issue of final ordera to units in this country for embarkation, and of notices to Class A. reservists, and
the Government of India had been invited to order the
units of their mixed Erigade to prepare to sail in seven days and had been notified that a further telegram would
be sent later in the week. There was as yet no reply from
Japan, but the telegrams from Peking snowed that Sir
Miles Lampson had made an impression on the Japanese Minister there in support of our policy.
A discussion then took place as to whether there
should be a further delay in the issue of orders for the movement of troops. From the diplomatic point of view it
was realised that it would be undesirable to give the
Japanese Government an excuse for not co-operating on the ground that we, by our military dispositions, were
precipitating trouble, contrary to their advice. On the
military side it was recognised that any further delay in
sending troops might be critical.
The Cabinet were informed that Lord Inchcape had
placed the whole of the British India Fleet in India at
the disposal of the Indian Government for transport
purposes; also that the British Military Attachés in
Peking and Tokyo had been instructed to forward all
possible information as to the movements of the Cantone se
troops, and that the Japanese General Staff had been asked
for a military appreciation.
The Cabinet were informed that if notices to the
2,000 Class A. Reservists were not issued the same evening they could not be called out before Monday. It was
recognised,