No. 58(84/72J/40) Copy to:
Foreign Office No.337
sir,
6
British Embassy,
Tokyo.
5th July, 1940.
In his despatch No. 18 K:PM of April 3rd,
His Excellency the Governor was good enough to inform
me that, after the payment of all claims from the sum
of $20,000 given by the Japanese Gover ment to compensate
for damage and loss of life sustained in the bombing raid
on British territory on February 21st, 1939, there remained
a balance of $3,934.43. Sir G. Northcote suggested that
if the Japanese authorities agreed, the sum of $1,450
claimed in his despatch No. 21 of March 16th, 1939, for
loss of life, personal injuries and damage to property
sustained in the incident on the border of the New Territories
of Hong Kong on November 26th, 1938, might be deducted from
this balance. I approached the Japanese Government
accordingly and I have now the honour to transmit herewith
a copy of my Note No. 104 of May 20th putting the matter
to the Minister for Foreign Affairs, and a copy of the
Minister for Foreign Affairs' reply.
2. You will observe that, while refusing in principle
to acknowledge liability for damages in respect of the
incident of November 26th, 1938, the Japanese Government
state that in practice they have no objection to the payment
of compensation out of the balance of $3,934.43 which
remains of the sum paid in compensation for the incident
of February 21st, 1939.
N.L. Smith, Esquire,
Officer Administering the Government,
Victoria,
Hong Kong.
3./