CO129-556-13 Traffic in arms to China 6-1-1936 - 13-1-1937 — Page 77

P

In any

further communication

on this subject, please quote

No. F 3927/7/10.

and address-

not to any person by name

but to-

"The Under-Secretary of State,"

Foreign Office,

London, S.W.1.

77

27

RECEIVED

16 JUL 1936 CO. REGY

FOREIGN OFFICE.

S.W.1.

16th July, 1936.

23

Sir,

244

I am directed by Mr. Secretary Eden to refer to

your letter No.53548/36 of 2nd July, regarding the export

of arms from Hong Kong to Macao, in which was transmitted

for his concurrence a copy of a proposed draft despatch to

the Governor of Hong Kong.

2. With regard to the last sentence of paragraph 2

of the draft despatch Mr. Eden is of opinion that a simple

notification to the Portuguese Government without prior

consultation would be sufficient and unobjectionable.

Since delay in effecting the change, if it is to be made,

is undesirable he would suggest omitting that sentence from

the despatch.

3. It is regretted that the object of the suggestion

contained in paragraph 3 of Foreign Office letter of 27th

June was not made clear. It was designed to meet the

contingency of cases on the border-line between war-material,

if the export of such material was to be confined to the

government of Macao, and other goods. If the export of

war-material is to be confined to government authorities

it appears to Mr. Eden to be very desirable to deal strictly

with border-line cases, so that as small a loophole as

possible may be left for the re-export from Macao of material

which might be used for warlike purposes in China.

I am,

Sir,

Your obedient Servant,

CW. Orde

The Under-Secretary of State,

Colonial Office.