F 7856/130/10
Code telegram to Sir R. Craigie (Tokyo)
Foreign Office.
No. 408 (R)
NO DISTRIBUTION
18th October, 1937.
4.30 p.m.
53
COOCOBOCOQ
Your telegram to Hong Kong No. 27 of the 5th October; non-interference with Chinese junks discharging British vessels].
Reference to circumstances when "unloading is not
legitimate" is not understood. If Japanese Government mean to imply that unloading by Chinese junks of troops or armament stores carried in British ships is not regarded as legitimate,
assurance appears to have no special value, since junks would then be in the same position as other Chinese vessels (see your telegram No. 321.) Moreover, Japanese Government have further
stated that they would not interfere in any way with neutral
ships, even if known to be carrying munitions. And prevention of discharge into Chinese junks at those ports where ships normally have to be unloaded off-shore would constitute
interference.
2. No justification is seen for the threat to stop
Chinese junks engaged in the discharge of cargo from British
vessels, if after entering one port, they proceed to another;
it is apparently not limited to cases where the unloading is
considered to be "not legitimate." Provided that it has hitherto
been the normal practice for junks or lighters carrying to land
cargo from ocean-going ships to discharge this cargo in more than one port and that such cargo is normally accompanied by
documents sufficient to identify it in the event of examination by Japanese OII.cers, Japanese Government might be approached on this point. His Majesty's Chargé d'Affaires at Nanking will no
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doubt