[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.]
shipping
112
From CHINA.
Decode.
Mr. Howe (Shanghai).
9th February, 1958.
D.
(Via W/T.) 9th February, 1938,
R.
3.20 p.m., 9th February, 1958.
No. 262.
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Following is repetition of Tientsin telegram No. 22,
February 4th.
Begins.
Addressed to Mr. Howe Shanghai telegram No. 22; repeated
to Peking Saving and Commander-in-Chief.
Chinese police authorities at Tongku, no doubt acting on instructions of Japanese military, have recently been stopping inward and outward bound British steamers and boarding them to
search for undesirable passengers amongst Chinese [grp. ontd.]
and other persons, who have no national papers particularly
Russians. In one instance a Russian was removed from outward
bound steamer. I have protested strongly on several occasions
to my Japanese colleague, but so far without much avail. I
have therefore considered advisability of asking for a British
ship to be sent to Tongku to prevent this interference with free
movements of British shipping to and from the port. doing so, however, I would like to have your instructions as to
whether in the exceptional circumstances of the present situa-
tion I am justified in refusing any right of search to Chinese
police in territorial waters.
Ends.
Before