In any further communication on this subject, please quote
No. F 7695/34/10.
and address
not to any person by name
but to-
"The Under-Secretary of State,"
Foreign Office,
London, S.W.1.
29
FOREIGN OFFICE.
S.W.1.
25th July, 1938.
32
Sir,
20
With reference to Colonial Office letter No.53909/38
of the 23rd June and to the semi-official letter No.M/38 28 of the 16th July from the Board of Trade to the Colonial
Office regarding the export of motor torpedo boats to China via Hong Kong, I am directed by Viscount Halifax to
inform you that he much prefere the original terms of the
draft telegram to the Governor of Hong Kong, which was
enclosed in Colonial Office letter under reference.
2.
As regards the point of view expressed in the 28 semi-official letter from the Board of Trade, Lord Halifax
is advised that it was on purely practical grounds that the suggestion was originally made that the motor torpedo boats should, if possible, be prevented from proceeding to China
in a British ship. If there were a state of war between
China and Japan, there would be a legal objection to letting
As however there them proceed to China by sea or by land.
is no state of war, the only possible objections would be
political or physical.
3.
Lord Halifax would therefore propose, should
Mr. MacDonald see no objection, that discretion in this
matter be left to the Governor of Hong Kong. If he is confident that there is no risk involved in permitting the
carriage
The Under-Secretary of State,
Colonial Office.