21
(F 840/4/10)
Cypher telegram to Ir. Howe, (Shanghai).
Foreign Office, 31st January, 1938,
No. 107.
NO DISTRIBUTION.
7 p.in.
0:0:0:0
Your telegram No. 89 of January 17th: Proposed purchase
of Chinese ships by Jardine, the son & Company].
Proposal was reported to His Majesty's Government by the Governor of Hongkong in November last and he was informed that provided necessary conditions were fulfilled there was no power to refuse British registry. As there is no legal state of war no British vessel could have enemy character.
or have Japanese got belligerent rights. therefore have full support of His Majesty's Government in
event of any detention of them by the Japanese, and you may
so inform them.
Company would
Addressed to lir. Howe, No. 107; repeated to Tokyo
No. 84 and Hongkong.