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.
FROM JAPAN
Decode.
Sir R. Craigie (Tokyo).
18th February 1939.
D.
11.30 a.m. 18th February 1938.
R.
9.30 a.m. 18th February 1938.
No. 223. (R).
Since despatch of my telegram No. 214 and my telegram
No. 219 I have received further circular note stating that
Japanese forces have ascertained by air reconnaisence that
the Chinese army have deliberately placed trains and other military objectives in the neighbourhood of foreign churches and factories in Chengchow and other towns along the right
bank of the Yellow River.
Policy of Japanese forces is to respect foreign lives and properties to the utmost but they may be obliged for strategical reasons to bomb Chinese trains etc., placed as stated above. In such cases they naturally cannot assume responsibility for damage from [2 grps.undec:] powers.
It is requested that the Chinese may be warned to remove military objectives from, and not allow them to be placed in the neighbourhood of British churches and factories. Addressed to Foreign Office, repeated to Embassy Offices,
Shanghai.
4. q