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2.
flags (e.g. run-runners) it has usually been found that all
their papers, and not only their certificates of registry,
have been forged. Moreover, other documents such as lo and
Articles of Agreement are not uniform, and Japanese officers
who were familiar with one particular pattern might create difficulties if confronted with another (though equally regular).
5. You may inform the Japanese Government that there is no
objection to inspecting officers bein sent in pairs, accompanied
by an interpreter, if required.
6. As regards transfers of ships from Chinese to British
registry since the 25th August, it is impossible to acceded to
the Japanese Government's request. You may, however, give then
the following information informally and unofficially. It would
not be possible to ascertain what transfers, if any, may have
take place between the 25th August last and the 2nd September,
the date on which instructions were issued that all applications
for transfer should be referred to London. Since then, however,
no transfers have taken place.
7. I presume that the Ministry of Marine are now conversan:.
with the conditions on which His Majesty's Government have
indicated that they are prepared to allow British ships to be
boarded and that they have issued instructions accortlingly (see
paragraph 2 of your telegram No. 456).
8. Finally, there is one general point of great importance.
which does not appear to have been adequately appreciated by the Japanese Government. As stated in ny telegram No. 297, para- graph 1 (b), permission to board a British ship is only accorded
if there is genuine reason to suspect that the vessel is not
entitled to fly the flag. In future, His Majesty's Government
must..