In any further communication on this subject, please quote
No.
F 9709/118/10.
and
and address-
not to any person by name
but to-
he Under-Secretary of State,"
Foreign Office,
London, S.W.1.
I DUPL
FOREIGN Office.
S.W.1.
46
46
33
7th September, 1939.
Sir,
With reference to Colonial Office letter No. 53846/39,
# of the 30th August, I am directed by Viscount Halifax to
state that having regard to the great importance of doing
nothing calculated to increase friction between His
Majesty's Government and Japan he considers that it would
be dangerous to grant permission to the Inter-Continent
Corporation to operate the proposed aeroplane service
between Hong Kong and Loiwing.
2. While it is true that Lord Halifax has only
raised objection to the export of completed aircraft from
Hong Kong to China, the transport of material and personnel
to a factory situated in China and engaged in the assembly
of aircraft for the Chinese Government would be open to
much the same objections in practice. It is quite possible
that the Japanese would attempt to intercept the aircraft,
and even though the parties concerned were for the most part
United States citizens this would be likely to lead to
incidents of a nature which His Majesty's Government are at
present more than ever anxious to avoid.
3. A copy of this letter is being sent to the Air
Ministry.
The Under-Secretary of State,
Colonial Office.
I am,
Sir,
Your obedient Servant,
N.B. Ronaco