هم
In any
further communication
on this subject, please quote
No. F 328/79/10.
and address-
not to any person by name
but to--
The Under-Secretary of State,"
Foreign Office,
London, S.W.1.
117
17.
FOREIGN OFFICE.
S.W.1.
13th January, 1939.
Immediate.
(4)
(5)
Sir,
(1)
With reference to Colonial Office letter No.
53838/34/38 of the 9th January on the subject of shipping
services between Canton and Hong Kong, I am directed by Sir
John Simon to inform you that he is advised that even if war
had been declared between China and Japan and His Majesty's
Government had adopted an attitude of formal neutrality,
there would be no objection on legal grounds to permitting
Japanese ships of the type described by the Governor
Such
of
Hong Kong in his telegram No. 6 of the 4th January to visit
Hong Kong for what may be regarded as trading purposes.
would not be a case of the use of Hong Kong or its waters by
Japanese warships, and the rules of neutrality do not impose
any restrictions on trading ships owned or chartered by a
Government which are not employed in military operations.
Since at present there is no formal state of war between
China and Japan, there is all the less objection on legal
grounds to the granting of the permission in question.
2. Sir John Simon is further advised that, with
reference to the considerations mentioned in the telegram No.
7 from the Governor of Hong Kong of the 4th January, the
position/
The Under Secretary of State,
Colonial Office.