This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government, and should be
returned to the Foreign Office if not required for official use. •]
149
39A
F 6876/130/10).
TO JAPAN.
Code telegram to Sir R. Craigie (Tokyo).
Foreign Office, 24th September, 1937.
6.0 p.m.
10
No. 345. (R).
Your telegram No. 415 [of the 20th September; blockade of
the China coast].
1. Condition (b). His Majesty's Government must insist that
British naval authorities be informed whenever a vessel flying the
British flag is visited by a Japanese warship, whether the visit
establishes that vessel is in fact British or not. You should
ask Japanese Government for an assurance that this will be done.
As regards channel for passing information, His Majesty's Govern-
ment consider that arrangement under (b) of your telegram No. 393
will suffice.
2. You should leave Japanese Government in no doubt that
His Lajesty's Government will not permit more than the examination
of the certificate of registry of a British ship. This is a
simple process which could well be carried out by one man with a
knowledge of English. The presence of a "number of inspectors"
is thus quite unnecessary and unjustifiable.
Addressed to Tokyo No. 345, repeated to Nanking No. 524 and
to Commander-in-Chief.