This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government, and should be returned
to the Foreign Office if not required for official use.
97
From FRANCE.
Telegram (en clair) from Sir E. Phipps (Paris).
D. 26th October, 1937.
R. 27th October, 1937.
No. 646.
(Saving). BY BAG.
CONFIDENTIAL.
}
Your telegram 10, 316 of October 2örd (Supply of Arms to China over French railways in Indo-China).
I took up this question yesterday evening with the Minister
for Foreign Affairs.
M. Dulbos repeated to me the fears already expressed to me by M. Léger regarding the probable occupation of Hainan and the Paracels islands by Japan, and the bombardment of the French lines. His Excellency told me that the Japanese had already made these possibilities known to him by indirect means, and of course in suitably veiled language. The Paracels islands are claimed by
France, but the Japanese maintain stoutly that they belong to
China. M. Delbos told me that he would probably urge the latter
Power to recognise the French claim to the Faracels.
His xcellency said that what he feared even more than direct Japanese air attack on the French railway was the blowing up of bridges, tunnels, etc., of which there are a very large number, by Japanese agents; the cost of this to France would be enormous and who would re-pay her? I suggested that the lines could well be guarded, but M. Delbos said that it would be necessary, in order to do so efficiently, for troops to be placed at short intervals all along the line, and this the French Government could not do.
M. Delbos then referred to the Siamese danger, pointing out that Franco-Siamese relations were at present in a very unsatisfactory state. I remarked that this danger seemed very remote in view of
the
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.