CO129-560-15 Traffic of arms to China 18-2-1937 - 15-11-1937 — Page 244

In

any

further communication

on this subject, please quote

F 5933/130/10.

and address-

not to any person by name

but to-

The Under-Secretary of State,"

Foreign Office,

London, S. W.1.

Geut

172207/1/37)

al regel

RECEIVED

- 3 SEP 1937

LeaseY

FOREIGN OFFICE.

S.W.1.

2nd September, 1937.

23

244

(9)

(6)

Sir,

I am directed by Mr. Secretary Eden to refer to your

letter No.53548/37 of the 31st August asking for his

observations on the communication from Mr. Bernard of the

27th August on the subject of the supply of arms to China

addressed to both the Colonial Office and the Foreign Office.

2. Mr. Bernard called at this department and was

informed generally as to the position in regard to the supply

of arms to both China and Japan, namely, that at present the

normal procedure with regard to the export of arms was being

followed, and that no decisions had been taken to prohibit

the export of arms either from this country or from Hong Kong.

Mr.Bernard however was given clearly to understand that it

was impossible to guarantee what the position in this respect

would be when the actual time of shipment of any

particular consignment of arms might arrive; nor was it

possible to guarantee that the Japanese Government might not

at any moment begin to exercise belligerent rights in which

case the vessel carrying the arms would be exposed to the

risk of contraband search or blockade. In answer to a

further question by Mr. Bernard the view was expressed that

firms supplying arms to China would not on that account be

exposed to adverse criticism in the absence of a declared

The Under-Secretary of State,

Colonial Office.

policy/