[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.
196
From CHINA.
Decypher. Mr. MacKillop (Hankow).
D.
Wireless.
R. 8.00 p..
No.100.
February 5rd 1938.
February 3rd 1938.
February 3rd 1932.
Lddressed to mbassy Shanghai telegram No.111 of
February 3rd.
Your telegram No. 146 to Vice Admiral Yangise of
December 14th.
I think it is time to refer back to this statement of
fundamental nature of position which will exist here in the
event of a continued or resumed Jananese advance.
In 2nd paragraph there were set forth the only two courses which were open to safeguard British ships and nationals here. One of these courses was however ruled out
from the first. The other is now also ruled out for it was establishment of safety zone for ships and nationals which should be absolutely guaranteed by japanese army, navy and air force. Japanese have offered not an absolute but a conditional guarantee which in my opinion is valueless since conditions cannot be realised by foreign goverments or nationals. Whether it is worthless may be a matter of opinion but it is
undoubtedly not an absolute quarantee.
I venture to submit therefore that the matter should be
considered de novo. It has two aspects, that of attack from the air at any time and that of possible attack by the army or navy in the future.
Repeated to Foreign Office.