2.
150
internment is not deterrent enough in such a case. These two
persons should therefore be handed over to de facto authorities
for trial.
3. I have told Japanese authorities that the disposal of
the men under arrest is still under consideration of the Foreign
Office and you, but that with regard to the future offenders the
Foreign Office had under discussion with you a policy the general
principles of which I thought would remove all cause of friction.
4. You will naturally understand the community has and is
still in considerable anxiety as to the future course of events,
and as questions had been addressed to me from time to time I
thought it only my duty to ta e the leading members such as the
chairman of the Council Mr. lent, and Mr. Hathan, into my
confidence. The whole deadlock has been freely ventilated in the
Japanese-controlled press and material of British Committee's
telegram to which Your Excellency refers was in fact based on
common knowledge not on talks which I had had with the chairman
of the Council, etc., etc. I was personally not very favourably
disposed towards any telegram being sent by A.B.C. as I did not
wish to embarrass Your Excellency but I felt I could not prohibit
an association of high standing from transmitting its views,
granting that they do so through me. While I appreciate Your
Excellency's feelings with regard to conscience, I venture to
submit that scruples regarding the handing over of the men, who even if innocent of the major crime charged, are at any rate
members of a terrorist gang, should not override the principles
of fair play giving rise to an accusation by the Japanese that we are not being neutral but are deliberately assisting the Chinese.
Page 150Page 151