CO129-451 - Public Offices - 1918 — Page 443

In any further communicatiou on the subject, please quote

No.130076/X/1143.

and widress---

The Under Secretary of State,

Foreign Onor.

London, S.W.L

sir.

40234

439

FOREIGN OFFICE

REC

S.W.1.

REG 20 AUG 18

August

19

,1918.

Goo

In reply to your letter No. 35393 of the 25th ultimo relative to the shipment of goods to Switzerland by Japanese vessels, I am directed by Sir L. Worthington Evans to inform you that he does not agree with the alleged view of the French Government that Japanese vessels may be regarded as equivalent to neutral vessels for the purpose indicated, and I am to suggest that, if Mr. Secretary Long sees no objection, the Governor of Hong Kong may be informed accordingly.

2. In this connection I am to transmit a copy of a letter from Hessrs. Matheson and Company enclosing certain correspondence relative to the shipment of tea from Shanghai to Marseilles which was originally destined for Switzerland. The circumstances surrounding this shipment do not appear to be definitely shown in this correspondence, but, so far as Sir Laming under- stands it, the following seem to have been the facts of the case. The tea, which originated from Shanghai, was, for reasons which are not clear to the Minister of Blockade, transhipped at Hong Kong and at the time of its arrival at that port no neutral tonnage was available to carry it to Switzerland. The shippers, having procured Japanese tonnage for this purpose and having approached

The Under Secretary of State,

Colonial Office.

the