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Admiralty letter (M. 05235/37) of 11th October to the
Foreign office to the effect that in each case where a
British ship was boarded by Japanese officers for the
purpose of verifying identity, the Japanese authorities
should furnish a report stating the grounds on which their
suspicions were based. In support of this suggestion, I
am to point out that in the original communication on the
subject which Sir Robert Craigie was instructed to make to
the Japanese Government (see Foreign office telegram
No. 297 of the 9th September to Tokyo) it is made clear
that the concession as to the boarding of British ships by
the Japanese related to cases where "there was genuine
reason to suspect that the vessel is not entitled to fly
the flag". If this condition la to be maintained, it is
clearly necessary that the Japanese should make a report
to the British authorities in each case, stating the
grounds of their suspicion.
The Board presume that this matter could be taken up
when Kis Majesty's Representative replies to the points
raised by the Japanese Government as reported in his
telegrams Nos. 498 and 499.