No. 27(2/72D(1)/40)
222
British Embassy,
Tokyo.
30th January, 1940.
Your Excellency,
with reference to the Note No. 251 which
I had the honour to address to you on the 19th
December last, I now regret to have to bring to Your
Excellency's notice the case of an attack on Hong
Kong Fishing Junk 884 H.C. on the 17th September last.
2. It appears that at about 9 p.m. on this
date Junk 884 H.C., while in Deep Bay off she Hau,
was approached by Japanese motor boat.
The crew
of the latter ordered all on board the junk to remove
into a sampan, then poured oil all over the junk
and set fire to it. The wrecked junk was subsequently
discovered by the Hong Kong Folice authorities appro-
ximately 1 miles North East of the presumed point of
attack, which was some 3 miles from the nearest
Chinese waters at South Point. I am advised that it
is most improbable that the damaged junk could have
drifted in from Chinese waters under the influence
of wind and tide during the interval before it was
discovered, and that the evidence therefore points
His Excellency
Mr. Hachiro Arita,
His Imperial Japanese Majesty's
Minister for Foreign Affairs.
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