British Consulate-Ceneral,
OANTO N.
2nd March, 1940,
144
bear Kr. £118,
As you know I have long been enxious
the Pearl River opened at the earliest possible date,
and I have bean hoping that this would take place
almost iɛmediately after the arrival of the additional
Custome staff. It was therefore a great disappointuent
to se to gather from our conversation yesterday that
19
all that is to take place at present is a further fodifiestion
of the temporary agreement regarding navigation of the Pearl
River by certain British vessels and vinita to Hongkong by
certain Japanese vessels, pending restoration of the Pearl
iver to normal navigation, initialled by Henare. “kasaki
and Blunt on July 4th, 1989. I understand that your idea
is that this modification is to follow the lines suggested
by you in our interview of January 15th last, and to consist
of increasing the number of ships or sailings end of permitting
the carriage of export cargo.
8.
I hope you will allow me to rezark, in a friendly
way, that the "Reopening of the Pearl kiver las attracted
ttention mince the letter was first broached a8
univorasi
a preetical issue in the near future. The "Eeopening
of the Pearl River® is everywhere understood to kmen the
restoration to Treaty Powera of their full rights and
liberty of navigation and trade, and I feel no hesitation
in saying that there would be general diseppointment wong
third Powers if it appeared that all that was to happen
was the removal of one or two restrictions, and that
restoretion of the Pearl River to normal navigation was
Magno ita, Esquire,
His Imperial Japanese Kajesty's "onsul-General,
CANTON.
apparently/