British Consulte-General,
CANON 87
Janu ry 26th, 1939.
Katsuo Okazaki,
irt and dear Colleague,
I have the honour to inform y that I received
at 7.40 last night your "Very urgent" communication of
yesterday': date addressed to the senior consul announcing
that "there seem to be come aircraft whose nationality is
unknown to the Japanese autho ities flying occasionally
来
over the zone of Japanese military operations in Shine,
and that, since such flights n turally hinder the activities
of the Japanese forces, they have decided to shoot down all
such aircraft".
2.
While I immediately communicated the contents of
your note by telegram to my Government and to other British
authorities concerned, I mus: take his opportunity of
reminding you that, with reference to the various statements
issued by the Japanese foreign office in Tokyo to the Third
wers concerned regardin the fli ht of aircraft of Third
Powers over the zone of Japanese militery operacions in
hine, His Majesty's mosssador at Tokyo has, under instruc-
Lions receive from Hisajesty's Covernment, repeatedly
drawn the attention of the Japanese Government to the
attitude of my Covernment in this en similar cases; namely
that the responsibility for ensuring that British lives and
property in China are not made the subject of attack must
rest with the Japanese a thorities conc red. This res-
ponsibility will remain even if aeroplanes in which ritish
interests are concerned should fly within the area of
Japanese militery operations in hins either by day or night.
I refer particularly to Sir Robert raigie's note lio. 186
of November 17th to His Excellency #r. dachiro rita.
squire,
His Imperial Japanese Majesty's
Consul-General,
CANTO N.
I have the honour to be,
ir and dear Collea ̧ 10,
Your obedient servant,
(sgd.) A.P. BLUNT.
CORE-GENERAL.