14
In any further communication on this subject, please quote
No. F 984/42/10.
and address-
not to any person by name
but to-
The Under-Secretary of State,"
Foreign Office,
London, S.W.1.
Confidentiul
D
FOREIGN Office.
S.W.1.
14th February, 1939.
58838/24/
Aned (2
38
Sir,
I am directed by Viscount Halifax to refer to your
letter No.53838/24/38 of the 6th January on the subject
of the seizure by the Japanese of the British-owned rolling
stock of the Canton-Kowloon Railway. Lord Halifax presume s
the relevance of the Japanese reference to the rolling stock
belonging to the Chinese section of the railway which has
been deposited in Hong Kong territory to be that the
Japanese Government claim this rolling stock for themselves
and are not disposed to part with the property of the Hong
Kong Government unless it is returned to them. In this
connexion Lord Halifax is advised that, if there were a war,
the Japanese as regular military occupants would have the
right to requisition property for military purposes provided
that, in so far as it was private property, at any rate of
neutrals, adequate compensation was paid. And even in the
absence of a state of war, it is in practice difficult to
deny them the exercise of this right.
2.
I am also to invite attention to the telegrams,
which have been received in this department since your letter
was written, on the subject of the possible reopening of the
Canton-Kowloon Railway: (see Canton telegrams Nos.7 and 18
to Shanghai and Shanghai telegram No.68, copies of which were
sent to the Colonial Office under Foreign Office printed
letters
The Under-Secretary of State,
Colonial Office.