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equally useful for civil or military purposes, and from
the point of view of our own defence requirements there
was no case for stopping their export on the ground that
we needed them ourselves.
Considerable doubts were expressed as to
whether the fact that there had been no declaration of war
was sufficient, in present circumstances, to justify a
continuance of the exportation of arms, particularly in
view of the strong public opinion against Japan.
The Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs
pointed out that he had used the phrase for the reason that
it was the test for raising the question of action under
Article 16 of the Covenant and for the application of the
Neutrality Law in the United States of America.
The Cabinet were reminded that the amounts of
British arms which could be spared for China would be
very small, but that the fact of sending them might raise
large issues the consequences of which might react on China.
At the moment the main issue on the arms question revolved
round Hong Kong, which was suspected by Japan as being used
as a centre for the distribution into China of arms and
war material from abroad. If the issue were forced through
the despatch of arms from this country to China, Japan
might raise awkward questions over the position both of
Hong Kong and of the Kowloon-Canton Railway.
The Secretary of State for the Colonies said
that the Colonial Office were keeping in close touch with
the