In any further communication
on this subject, please quote
No. F 10756/6826/10
and address-
not to any person by name
but to--
4.
The Under-Secretary of State,"
Foreign Office,
London, S.W.1.
24
30.
FOREIGN OFFICE.
S.W.1.
21st October, 1938.
26.
sir,
I am directed by Viscount Halifax to refer to
paragraph 4 of Colonial Office letter No.53838/10/38 of
the 13th October, inviting his observations on a despatch
from the Governor of Hong Kong on the subject of attacks
by Japanese naval forces on Chinese fishing junks which
have their base at Hong Kong.
2.
Lord Halifax is advised that the absence of any
specific statement that the junks were of British ownership,
although it may preclude the presentation to the Japanese
authorities of a claim for compensation, would not preclude
the entering of a protest at the action of the Japanese and
of a request for its cessation, if such a procedure was
considered desirable. Such a request might, it would appear,
be based on any or all of the following grounds:-
(a) the desirability of maintaining good relations between
the Japanese Government and His Majesty's Government, and in
particular the local Japanese authorities and the Government
of Hong Kong.
(b) the general principles of international law, since the
Japanese Government, like His Majesty's Government, have
subscribed to The Hague Convention which forbids inter alia
attacks on, or even the capture of, fishing vessels; further,
Japan /
The Under-Secretary of State,
Colonial Office.