CO129-542-1 China- traffic in arms 31-10-1932 - 9-2-1934 — Page 156

(FJ878/160/10)

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Dear Rowyer,

POREIGN OFFICE, S.T. 1. 153

13th June, 1933,

With reference to your letter No.

F 6360/47 of 9th June to Allen regarding the

sule of Australien erme to China, we think that

the recone set out by you in paragraph 2 for

the refusal to grant permission for the sle

of en instrment of war from Government stocks

to Japan r: probably right. The question of

neutrality we not, so far as we know, sctually

raired in the Cabinet, but it was held that

lthough the embargo on the exports of arms by

private firms had been removed, Government

departments were not quite in the same position.

Now that hostilities betwe.n China end

Japan have cer sed, the situation har, of course,

~ltered, ・nd in present circumst-nces no obstacle

would, in this country, be placed in the way of

soler of government-owned arms to them, subject

E.B. Bowyer, Esq.

to