CO129-542-1 China- traffic in arms 31-10-1932 - 9-2-1934 — Page 161

Dear Bowyer,

158

Office of the High Commissioner

for the

Commonwealth of Australia.

Department of External Affairs, 2, Whitehall Gardens,

London, S.W.1.

30th May, 1933.

With reference to your memoranda of 12th and 17th

May, relative to the reports from the Far East on the

activities of Brack in connection with the sale of surplus

arms and ammunition from Australia, and our discussion on the

relation of it to certain questions of principle that are

involved, the following cablegram was despatched to the Prime

Minister by Mr. Bruce on 25th May:-

"With reference to Brack who is understood to have represented himself at Hong Kong as agent of Commonwealth for sale of arms to Canton authorities, United Kingdom Government has intimated recent decision not to sell to belligerents from Government stocks notwithstanding, lifting of embargo. They also draw attention to (a) any importation into China being subject to permit of Chinese representative in exporting country (b) possible attitude of Central Government to imports by Canton.

#

The following reply was received on 26th May:-

"We are advising Governor of Hong Kong that Brack has no authority whatever from Commonwealth Government. We previously advised British Legation, Peking, and British Embassy, Tokyo, to the same effect".

I thank you for copies of Foreign Office cable-

grams forwarded on this subject and for the copies of

Dominions Office cablegrams showing the earlier history of embargoes on supplies to the Far East.

E.B. Bowyer, Esq.,

Dominions Office,

S.W.1.

Yours sincerely,

(Sgd.) F.G. Shedden.