COPY.
M. 13170/37.
Mercantile Marine Department,
Board of Trade,
S.W.1.
101
13th October, 1937.
sir,
I am directed by the Board of Trade to refer to your
letter (F.7447/130/10) of the 6th October with which was
enclosed a copy of telegram No. 488 from Sir Robert Craigie
regarding Japanese interference with Chinese junks and
lighters engaged in discharging cargo from British vessels.
The Board note the Japanese Government's "assurance”
that their naval vessels will refrain as far as possible
from obstructing the passage of Chinese junks and lighters
engaged in discharging cargo from British vessels, but they
are at a loss to understand the meaning of that sentence of
the telegram under reference which reads "Should
circumstances indicate that unloading is not legitimate,
Japanese warships will take action to stop them".
The Board suppose that by this is meant that if the
cargo discharged from a British vessel into Chinese junks
consists of troops or armament stores (vide telegram 321 of
the 27th August from Tokyo) it will be considered as "not
The Under-secretary of state,
Foreign Office,
3.7.1.
/legitimate
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