8.
[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.]
8
(F 2025/62/10)
To CHIMA.
Cypher telegram to Mr. Howe (Shanghai),
cla
Foreign Office, 22nd February, 1938.
9.20 p.m.
No. 188.
Tokyo telegram to Foreign Office No. 223 [of the 18th February: protection of British property in China).
If it is true that the Chinese military authorities are deliberately placing trains and other legitimate targets in the neighbourhood of foreign roperty, without the justification of strict militery and strategic necessity, it seems to me that we should have a reasonable ground for holding the Chinese Government responsible for any resulting damage to British property. I think that, in so far as you are in touch with them, you should tell British property-owners to do their utmost to urge the Chinese military to refrain from action prejudicial to the interests of foreigners, whose goodwill they profess to desire to retain, and to inform them that His Majesty's Government will hold their Government responsible for any result- ing damage to British property: at the same time, you should instruct Mr. Macillop to inform the Chinese Government of the position and to make clear to them that His Majesty's Government reserve the right to claim compensation for any damage to British property resulting from the deliberate placing of legitimate military objectives in the neighbourhood of foreign property in cases where this is not dictated by strict military and strategic necessity.
Addressed to ir. Howe Shanghai No. 188, repeated to Tokyo No. 147.