CO129-560-16 Traffic of arms to China 11-11-1937 - 1-1-1938 — Page 87

Ris Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government, and should be returned

to the Foreign Office if not required for official use.

ал

87

FROM JAPAN.

Decypher.

Sir R.Craigie (Tokyo).

17th November, 1937.

Do

R.

8.10 p.m.

1.30 p.m.

17th November, 1937.

17th November, 1937.

No.690.

XXXXXXXXXXX

216

Your telegram No.478.

I have been keeping in close touch with my French colleague about this. During recent conversation he told me

that French Government had decided to close Indo-Chinese

frontier because they felt that continued passage of arms to China was likely to provoke imposition of blockade and possible

occupation of Hainan or another island as naval and air base. He said nothing about a Japanese threat of occupying Hainan quite the contrary and I think that this may be wilfully

exaggerated by the Quai d'Orsay to justify their attitude

in the eyes of (?French Minister for Foreign Affairs).

J

French Ambassador has today confirmed to me that he knows nothing of any such communication from Japanese Government. He points out that story has according to this evening's

papers been denied in Paris.

I will speak again to Japanese Government if I see any sign of departure from the assurances given. But such representations are unlikely greatly to affect the issue. What will determine the Japanese action is the amount of war material reaching China from overseas at any given moment and naval and air dispositions judged necessary and expedient to intercept traffic.