CO129-539-6 Anti-Japanese disturbances- alleged presence of Japanese warship 10-2-1932 - 5-7-1932 — Page 16

No.194 (895/68/32)

Confidential.

sir,

British Embassy,

Tokyo.

8th April, 1932.

16

In accordance with the instructions

contained in your despatch No. 151 (P 1758/1/10)

No.151

Confidential of the 4th ultimo, I have the honour

to furnish my observations on Sir William Peel's

despatch of January 15th last, addressed to the

Secretary of State for the Colonies, commenting on

paragraph 10 of my despatch No.479 Confidential of

October 1st last dealing with the anti-Japanese outbreak which had just taken place at Hong Kong.

2.

His Excellency takes exception to

a statement in that despatch to the effect that

the Japanese Government ordered a man-of-war to Hong Kong in order to appease Japanese public opinion; and points out that the "Saga", to whose

visit I was presumably referring, was stationed

at Canton and was in the habit of visiting the

Colony at frequent intervals for supplies. There

was no reason to suppose, therefore, that her visit

of September 29th was other than of a routine nature.

3.

I have the honour to state, in reply, that it was taken for granted here that the Saga"

had been sent to Hong Kong in reply to the clamour

The Right Honourable

Sir John Simon, G.C.S.I., K. C.V.O.,

etc..

etc.,

etc.

raised/