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the Chinese, and he indicated that the object of the air
raid which had taken place at Canton on the preceding day
was to interrupt the transportation northwards of the
munitions which were known to have already arrived in Hong
Kong. The extension of the embargo zone cut off one line of
entry of such arms into China, namely, carriage in Chinese
vessels from Hong Kong to Canton; it remains now for Japan
to devise means of cutting off the other lines, namely,
carriage in foreign steamers or by rail.
Chinese
32.
There this matter rests for the moment.
shipping in the prohibited area has been brought to a
complete standstill.
that has yet happened as a result of the embargo is that a
number of vessels have been stopped by signal from Japanese
warships, but allowed to proceed after signalling their name,
ports of origin and destination and that they were not on
charter. In reply to enquiries from British shipping
companies as to the position of British merchant vessels, the
Commander-in-chief has informed them that the question is
under consideration and that meanwhile British ships should
obey all orders received from Japanese warships, reporting
on the circumstances afterwards.
In regard to foreign shipping, all
33.
The Chinese Government and educated classes are, as
was pointed out in my telegram No.417 of the 4th September,
awaiting with the keenest anxiety the reaction of His Majesty's
Government to the Japanese manoeuvres to prevent arms reaching
China via Hong Kong. They feel that, as co-signatories
with them of the Kellogg Pact and other agreements which
Japan is trampling underfoot, we owe them something more than
benevolent neutrality in what is for them a life or death
struggle against a powerful aggressor. Japan's suggestion
that the neutral Powers should help her to shorten the
hostilities by cutting off China's supply of arms has called
forth particularly cynical comment.
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