CO129-560-15 Traffic of arms to China 18-2-1937 - 15-11-1937 — Page 167

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the Foreign Office on the Hong Kong position.

The question was raised as to what were the

amounts of war material for which licences had been given

or were being asked for from China and Japan respectively,

and it was suggested that the Cabinet ought to have

particulars of this.

The Cabinet were reminded that, having regard

to our own needs, the quantities of war material for

exportation to the Far East for which licences could be

granted must in any event be limited.

The Cabinet agreed

--

(a) That the President of the Board of Trade should refer to the Cabinet in the event of any applications for licences to export arms to Japan:

(b) That the Government Departments concerned

(e.g., the Service Departments and the Board of Trade) should make discreet enquiries as to the quantities of war material involved in applications made, or likely to be made in the near future, for the exportation of war material to Japan or China, and that Ministers should report the position to the Cabinet.