Decode.
Sir R. Craigie (Tokyo).
June 7th 1939.
D. 11.25 p.m.
June 7th 1939.
R. 8.30 p.m.
June 7th 1939,
No.528.
(2).
NO DISTRIBUTION.
95
My telegram No. 519.
During my interview yesterday with the Minister of Foreign Affairs I mentioned the representation I had made in the morning to the Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs in regard to the treatment of British shipping and expressed my opinion that it was now urgently necessary not nly to release the arrested ships but also to stop the repeated stopping of British ships whose identity must be perfectly well
authorities were now known to Japanese authorities. In fact the Ja anoce tending more and more to assume belligerent rights in the absence of a legal state of war - a tendency which was bound to land the Japanese Government in serious difficulties unless it could be checked. I was at the disposal of Ministry of Foreign Affairs for frank discussion of this matter, but so far had been unable to elicite information either as to the grounds for the detention of the two British ships or as to the principles on which the Japanese naval authorities were now proceeding. Minister for Foreign Affairs replied that whatever might be the technical position, there could be no gainsaying the fact war on a large scale was proceeding in China and Japanese navy must take all
To this measures necessary to ensure the defeat of the enemy. statement I demurred on the grounds that His Majesty's Government could never agree to the exercise of belligerent rights in defiance of the generally recognised precepts of international law.
In conclusion His Excellency fully agreed that is was a matter which should be discussed freely and frankly with me in view of resentment aroused in Great Britain by present state of affairs.
Shanghai please pass to Commander-in-Chief as telegram No.109. Addressed to Foreign Office, repeated to Shanghai No.421.